The Shadow of Our Pasts
by Mythique
Summary: Sequel to Watcher In the Keep. Braelyn has a new life in Quel'Thalas, in an age of fragile peace. When the 'truth' about Aethas Sunreaver's involvement in the theft of the Divine Bell is revealed, will Braelyn be able to stop Jaina Proudmoore plunging Azeroth into all-out war once more? Or will she be forced to choose between her people and her heart?
1. Ambassador

It was still early in the morning when Braelyn Hawke walked through the main entrance to Stormwind Keep. She nodded to the guards as she handed over her weapons and told her pets to wait outside. She was not in the mood to chat, and besides, there wasn't enough time for her to be friendly.

She was getting married in two days time.

The wedding had been postponed three times in the past two years because of politics, and if this summons to Stormwind by the King resulted in a fourth delay, Braelyn was pretty sure people were going to die. In fact, if she hadn't needed to come to the Alliance capital to pick up her wedding dress and meet with her parents, she might have fobbed King Varian off.

Braelyn sighed as her least favourite of the king's advisors came striding towards her. _I should have said I was too busy, _she thought. _Better yet, Rommath and I should have just eloped like he'd wanted to._

"Miss Hawke, a pleasure to see you again," the advisor said, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Thank you," she replied, falling into step with the man. She couldn't bring herself to return then pleasantry.

The walk to the King's office was short, and Braelyn was surprised to see her mother waiting for her by the door. "Mum!" she exclaimed. "I thought we were meeting at the Gilded Rose? Why are you here?"

"The king asked me to join you," Ellysan Hawke said, kissing her daughter on the cheek. "You're looking great, darling, are you excited?"

"I'm more nervous than anything else," Braelyn replied. "We've had to put the wedding on hold three times already, and now I get summoned to Stormwind. Even Rommath is getting anxious. I think he's one bad news day away from just grabbing me and heading for Shattrath."

"Don't worry, dear," her mother said. "I'm sure this is nothing too serious."

The advisor coughed discretely. "The king will see you now, Mrs Hawke, Miss Hawke," he said with a small bow, opening the door for them.

Braelyn rolled her eyes as she followed her mother into the surprisingly small office. The square-shaped room was dominated by a large oak desk that sat in front of the window, and by the man who stood in front of it. A small couch, two chairs, and a bookshelf were the only other pieces of furniture in the room.

She was pleased, and a little suspicious, to see that King Genn was also present for the meeting. She smiled warmly at the Gilnean as she noticed that he was wearing the leather holster she'd bought him a couple of years ago as a thank-you present.

"Miss Hawke, Ellysan, I'm pleased you could make it," the King said, kissing both their hands as they curtsied before him. King Genn echoed Varian's greeting, before reclaiming his seat.

"I know that you are busy with last-minute wedding preparations," Varian said to Braelyn with a smile. "I offer you my congratulations, and warmest wishes for your future happiness."

"Thank you, your highness," Braelyn replied. She was a bit shocked that the King would say such a thing, considering whom she was about to marry. Then again, relations between the Alliance and the Horde were the best they'd ever been. The tentative truce at the end of the Siege of Orgrimmar had evolved into a fragile, but lasting, peace. "But I had to come to Stormwind anyway, so it wasn't a problem meeting with you," she added, then bit her tongue when she realised how disrespectful she sounded. Her mother gasped.

"And we are _both _happy to serve, my lord," Ellysan said tactfully.

_And I'm supposed to be the diplomat,_ Braelyn thought sheepishly.

King Varian let out a sharp bark of laughter. "I'm glad to hear it," he said, motioning for them to take a seat. He sat down behind his desk, his face assuming its usual stern countenance. "I have asked Braelyn to be here today because an opportunity has arisen that may interest her."

Braelyn looked at her mother, raising an eyebrow in a silent enquiry. Ellysan frowned slightly and shook her head. She began to feel uneasy. She turned back to the king. "My lord, while I recently stopped working with the Argent Crusade, I do have new responsibilities waiting for me in Silvermoon," she said.

"I understand that," Varian replied, "but will you at least hear me out?"

Braelyn fought hard not to roll her eyes again. He was the king, for Light's sake; if he wanted to tell her something, then she was in no position to say, "Actually, I don't want to hear it, goodbye".

Wisely, she didn't say that. She just nodded her head. "Of course, your highness."

"As you know," the king began, "after the Siege of Orgrimmar, Warchief Vol'jin and I arranged a ceasefire between our two factions. That ceasefire has proven to be quite resilient." Varian shook his head slightly, as if he couldn't believe that such a thing had happened.

Honestly, Braelyn herself was a little surprised by that, and she was one of the more optimistic people out there. Despite a few skirmishes in places like Ashenvale, where valuable resources were at stake, and in Gilneas, the ceasefire had held. New trade routes were opening up, and transportation had become safer, and more reliable. Everyday, more and more progress was being made towards a lasting peace, though it would still be many years before formal peace treaties started landing on tables.

"In fact," the King continued, forming a tent out of his fingers, "things have gone so well, that we have decided to open official diplomatic channels with the Horde."

Braelyn and her mother exchanged startled looks. This was a surprising development. It signalled that Varian and Vol'jin were serious about working out a permanent peace plan. The hunter looked over to King Genn, and saw that the Gilnean's shoulders were tense, and his smile too fixed.

_So, not everyone is happy about this,_ Braelyn thought. She couldn't blame King Genn. Considering that the Forsaken still occupied his land, she couldn't expect him to be too thrilled about the Alliance creating a formal relationship with Sylvanas Windrunner. Although... Genn was a decent man; she could see him using this to his advantage, and not condemning the whole Alliance because of his own feelings.

No, the real snake in the grass was Jaina Proudmoore. Her transformation from peacemaker to warmonger had not been temporary. Despite pledging Dalaran to the Alliance, the past two years had seen Proudmoore become even more aggressive, especially towards the blood elves. When small fights did break out between the factions, chances were that it was because of the Kirin Tor and Sunreavers.

This had caused Braelyn so much anxiety that her mother had given up her position within the Kirin Tor, something that caused an abrupt ending to Ellysan Hawke's friendship with Jaina Proudmoore.

"Miss Hawke?" King Varian asked. "Are you listening?"

With a start, Braelyn realised she'd missed a lot of what the king was saying. "I'm sorry," she said, "I was lost in thought."

"As I was saying," the king continued, "things have gone so well, we have decided to assign ambassadors to the main Horde cities. Hopefully, this will result in tensions being nipped in the bud _before_ fighting breaks out." Varian frowned, and Braelyn wondered if he, too, was thinking about Lady Proudmoore. "And if skirmishes _do _break out, then we will have someone in place to try to mitigate the fallout."

King Varian looked up, fixing Braelyn with a penetrating stare. For a moment, she was captivated by his eyes, which were a beautiful bright blue, but then she felt her skin began to tingle with unease. Surely he wasn't suggesting...

_Please, please, please don't ask me to..._

"Considering your familiarity with the Sin'dorei leadership," Varian said firmly, causing Braelyn's heart to skip a beat, "I would ask that you assume the role of Alliance ambassador to Silvermoon."

"Are you crazy?" Braelyn asked without thinking. Her mother let out a strangled sound, while King Genn started choking on his tea. She knew that she'd reacted disrespectfully, but was too stunned to care.

King Varian stared at her, nonplussed. "Excuse me?" he asked, tone implying that Braelyn was walking a _very _fine line.

Braelyn's mouth opened and closed several times as she tried to formulate an answer that wouldn't get her into any more trouble. She honestly didn't see how Varian could think she was suitable candidate considering her relationship with Rommath.

"I'm sorry that I offended you, King Varian," she said carefully, "but, you do realise that in two days time I will become the wife of Silvermoon's Grand Magister?"

"Yes, Miss Hawke," the King said impatiently, "I am definitely aware of that fact. Jaina Proudmoore has made sure of that."

Braelyn paused. She'd never thought about how Lady Proudmoore would react to her engagement to Rommath. She'd been more concerned about her friends and family, to be honest.

"Don't you think that me being the Ambassador to Silvermoon might cause a conflict of interest?" she asked. "Do not mistake me," she added hastily, "I love my country. But Rommath is my life, and I have many friends in Silvermoon, including the Regent Lord and Ranger General. If conflict arises between the Alliance and the Sin'dorei, I will be placed in a horrible position. You would have me choose between my love and my people?"

Varian sat back in his chair, studying Braelyn carefully. "I understand your reluctance," he said. "I do realise why you would consider it an awkward position to be in, but your connection to the people of Silvermoon, your friendships with their leaders, are a great advantage in my opinion, and I know that Lor'themar Theron agrees with me."

The king stood up and gazed out the window. "I need people who are open-minded and willing to try to work with the Horde. You have shown that you are both these things. Plus, the Sin'dorei know you, and from what I've heard, respect you. They will listen to you, and have less difficulty in establishing a working relationship."

He sighed as he turned his gaze back to her. "The fact that you love Stormwind _and _Silvermoon is a bonus. It means that you will work hard to achieve optimal results for both."

Braelyn chewed her lower lip nervously. While she could appreciate his arguments, and his good opinion of her, there was still a lot of doubt in her mind. "And what happens if tensions arise that diplomacy can't ease? What am I to do if war breaks out? I won't abandon my husband, and I won't compromise my marriage for Stormwind's sake. Not unless the blood elves do something completely catastrophic."

King Varian regarded her with narrowed eyes. She couldn't tell if he approved of her loyalty to Rommath or not. Perhaps he thought she was being unreasonable or unduly stubborn. But Braelyn meant what she said; she would never do anything to jeopardise her future with Rommath. They had already been through enough.

"I will make you an offer," the king said, and Braelyn remembered the last time he said something along those lines. She'd ended up in Warsong Gulch, fighting for her life. "If you agree to become our ambassador to Silvermoon, I will grant you leave to quit without notice and become neutral should war break out, or the Alliance acts in a way that you don't feel comfortable defending."

Braelyn thought about what the king was offering. Her gut instinct was telling her to just say no, but the fact that the king was willing to offer her an out made his offer more appealing. She couldn't deny that she did have unique advantages when it came to Silvermoon; besides her upcoming marriage to Rommath, it was as the king said, she had forged strong friendships with Halduron and Lor'themar, and knew that they trusted her and valued her opinion.

He relationship with the magisters, while strained, was civil, thanks in no small part to Rommath. She had connections within the priesthood thanks to Lorelai, and had gradually wormed her way into the good graces of the common people.

Her friendship with Boxer, the goblin ambassador to Silvermoon was also beneficial. He was always pretty open about where the Bilgewaters stood on most issues.

Because of these things, the formalisation of relations between Quel'Thalas and the Alliance would be more easily accepted than if a stranger were to take on the role of ambassador. The blood elves would be wary and unwelcoming around anyone else.

"You said that Lor'themar approves of this?" Braelyn asked the king. He nodded.

"He was the one who suggested you, actually," Varian replied. "He also said that he'd be discussing the issue with Grand Magister Rommath while you were here."

Braelyn had to admit that part of her reluctance stemmed from her fiance's reaction to the idea of her taking on a role in the Alliance. He did, after all, still bear a lot of resentment and anger towards her people, even if his love for her had mellowed him somewhat. Plus, he knew that Braelyn herself was wary about joining the Alliance in a formal capacity.

Knowing that Lor'themar was discussing the issue with Rommath, however, eased her a little. Her fiancé listened to the Regent Lord, and respected his opinion. He was smart enough to see the benefits of the arrangement, and he knew _her_ well enough to know that she would most likely be swayed by the king's arguments.

Braelyn knew that if she were to accept, Rommath would not be surprised when she returned home as an Ambassador.

"Mother, what do you think?" she asked.

"I think it's a great opportunity for you, dear," her mother replied. "And I know your father would agree. We would love for you to serve the Alliance, as we did, but the decision is ultimately yours to make. We will be proud of you whatever you decide to do."

Chewing her lip as she decided what to do, she created a pros and cons list in her mind. There was a hell of a lot that could go wrong, and if things did go bad, it wouldn't just be her facing the consequences. She eyed the king thoughtfully.

"Do you promise that there will be no repercussions for me, or my family, should I quit in the face of war?" she asked.

"Upon my honour, and the life of my son, I do so swear," the king replied, placing a hand across his heart. To her surprise, King Genn echoed Varian's sentiment. She could only hope that the other Alliance leaders would live by the human kings' words. She had severe doubts about Lady Proudmoore.

_Light, _Braelyn thought, _am I really considering doing this?_ She looked at the two kings again before turning to her mother. Ellysan gave her an encouraging smile. She knew her daughter well enough to know where Braelyn's thoughts were taking her.

"Very well," Braelyn said. "I am honoured to serve you, King Varian, as our people's representative in my adopted home."

"Excellent!" Varian cried, coming around to shake Braelyn's hand. He called for his advisor. "Let's get the paperwork done so we can have a celebratory drink, and then I'll send you back to your fiancé."

Braelyn couldn't help but grin at the king's enthusiasm. As her mother hugged her in happiness, she felt butterflies take up residence in her stomach. A wedding and a new job? What a week!

_May the Light guide me through this transition._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>so there we go. Chapter one done and dusted. I really wanted to start my what-if story, but it will have more of an impact if it happens after the sequel. Plus, it will involve a character that I'll be introducing later in Shadows. What-if story is going to be a bit crazy.

Next chapter: wedding bells are ringing in Silvermoon as our couple finally tie the knot. We find out what's been happening with Braelyn's friends, and a dangerous secret is revealed at the reception.


	2. Wedding Belle

_Disclaimer: I do not own Warcraft, just the OCs and the plot._

* * *

><p>Never had a day been more anticipated than this one; the day Braelyn married her Grand Magister. After two long years, it was finally going to happen. No more delays, no more interruptions.<p>

Braelyn woke up with a smile on her face, watching the first rays of dawn peek through her curtains. Following the human tradition, Rommath had gone to stay with Halduron, so that he and Braelyn would not see each other before the wedding ceremony. He thought it was a ridiculous tradition, but she got her way in the end, with a little help from Lorelai and her mother.

She lay quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet, before her excitement drove her out of bed. She had expected to be a little nervous, but she wasn't. She was just... happy. It seemed like forever since Rommath had asked for her hand.

She went over to the first guest room and knocked on the door. Two seconds later, the door was flung open with great enthusiasm by a grinning Odariah. Her one month old son, Osynix, was cradled in her arms, while Andorien still lay in bed, snoring gently.

"Here she is!" Odariah squealed as quietly as she could. "The blushing bride."

Braelyn hugged her cousin, placing a soft kiss on Osynix's forehead. The baby looked a lot like his father, except that his ears and eyebrows were shorter, and his hair and skin were of pale purple shades not usually seen among the night elves.

The door of the second guest room opened behind them, and Lorelai emerged, smiling and practically glowing with happiness. The priest was followed by Braelyn's mother, who had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, mum," Braelyn sighed affectionately, "I haven't even got my dress on yet and you're already crying."

"I can't help it, dear," the mage said, wiping her eyes. "It feels like it was only yesterday I held you in my arms for the first time, and here you are, about to get married. Your father and I are so happy for you."

In an effort to calm the older woman down, Odariah walked forward and placed Osynix in Ellysan's arms. "Here you go, Aunty E," she said, "cuddle your great-nephew." She smiled as the mage began to stroke the boy's little cheek, cooing softly.

"If you and Dad are so happy, does this mean he's going to stop threatening to run Rommath through every time he visits?"

"Not a chance, dear," Ellysan said. "I think it's become a Hawke family tradition. Besides, you know your father would never go through with it. He'd cut off his own arm before he did anything to hurt you. He just feels the need to keep Rommath on his toes. A father's prerogative, I guess."

Braelyn rolled her eyes as Lorelai gave her a hug. "Shall we have breakfast now?" the blood elf suggested. "We have a very busy morning ahead of us."

"Good idea," Odariah replied. "But let Andorien sleep in a bit, he was up with Osynix most of the night."

The four women headed down to the kitchen, talking excitedly and looking forward to the celebration ahead.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Braelyn stepped out into the afternoon sunlight, and was stunned. The streets of Silvermoon were packed with the city's citizens, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the bride as she made her way to the cathedral. Furthermore, the buildings were all draped with red and gold drapes, and garlanded with flowers.<p>

It took her breath away, and for a moment, she thought she would cry.

"How beautiful," she heard her mother murmur in appreciation, and she could only nod in agreement.

Gathering the skirt of her white silk dress, Braelyn ventured into the crowd, smiling as the Sin'dorei offered her blessings and wishes of good fortune in both Thalassian and Common. Her hair, pinned back from her face with gold and ruby hairpins, was curled for the occasion, with a few white roses tucked among the waves.

Her father was meeting her at the cathedral, but she wasn't making the trip alone; Lorelai and Odariah, clad in identical red dresses, were attending her, and Allysandra, one of the first blood elves she'd befriended two years ago, was her flower girl. Behind them, Bitey, a cute little bow tie attached to his collar, trotted calmly. Denaria, her pig, pranced happily ahead of them, a little bell tied around her neck. Violet floated above them, thin streamers billowing from her wings.

Braelyn wouldn't, _couldn't_, stop smiling, and her happiness stemmed from more than just her marriage to Rommath. Three years ago, if you'd told her she'd be marrying the Grand Magister of Silvermoon, she'd have said you were crazy, especially if you said the wedding took place in Silvermoon, and that her family was by her side.

But here she was. It felt like all her beliefs were being vindicated all at once, her hope and determination (and stubbornness) rewarded in the best possible way.

She couldn't help but laugh as she waved to the people surrounding her, grabbing Lorelai in a one-armed hug.

_If only I could stay this happy forever._

* * *

><p>Braelyn's nerves hit her all at once, just as she entered the cathedral on her father's arm. When the music faded away, there was a silence so profound it was as if everyone in the building were holding their breath. Her eyes darted past the assembled guests, her attendants as they reached the altar, and settled on Halduron and Lor'themar, who were acting as Rommath's groomsmen.<p>

The Regent Lord smiled at her and bowed slightly, while Halduron was grinning. "Best money I ever spent," he mouthed. Braelyn managed a shaky smile in return.

Her father, somehow managing to be both proud and intimidating at the same time, squeezed her arm and said, "Chin up, pumpkin. Look who's waiting for you."

Her eyes moved to Halduron's right, and made contact with Rommath's. In an instant, her nerves vanished, replaced with the serenity only his presence seemed to offer her. He looked as stern and aloof as he usually did in public, resplendent in a set of black and emerald-green robes, but Braelyn saw the spark of happiness in his eyes, and the subtle upturn of his lips.

She broke out into a smile so radiant that it drew gasps of delight from the audience. When she reached the altar, her hand immediately shot out to grab Rommath's arm. Her father chuckled under his breath and said, "I'm so proud of you, Braelyn. My best wishes... to you both." Jasper placed a kiss on his daughter's cheek before shaking Rommath's hand and then taking his seat in the front row next to his wife.

"You look beautiful, dear heart," Rommath murmured, tracing his finger down Braelyn's cheek. Even after two years, that simple gesture still made her blush. "Let's get married, shall we? Before someone declares war on the kobolds or sets the city on fire."

Braelyn nodded with enthusiasm. "If you smell smoke, my love, just start conjuring a portal. It's lovely in Shattrath this time of year."

* * *

><p>Jessina Suntouched carefully wove her way through the crowded reception area, praying that no one was sober enough to see past her stealth mode. As skilled a rogue as she was, there were more people around than she was comfortable with, several of them hunters with well-trained pets. Hell, even the bride had bought her animals along!<p>

Getting into the cathedral had been easy. While half of the church had been reserved for invited guests, the bride and groom had left the rest of the seating available for the public. They were both keen on sharing their day with the people of Silvermoon. As Jessina was a blood elf, all she had to do was throw on a pretty dress, sneak to the front of the queue, and then walk straight inside.

The reception was a different story. It was a more intimate affair, with only the couple's closest family and friends invited, and security, standard and magical, was tight. Standard security measures were easy for someone of Jessina's skill to bypass, but magical wards were _always _a bitch.

But... Jaina Proudmoore had paid her a lot of coin to gatecrash this wedding in the hope of gaining useful intelligence, so she was just going to have to suck it up and do her job. Besides, she wanted to rub the human mage's nose in her success. Proudmoore hadn't believed that a blood elf would actually follow through on this mission.

More fool her. Jessina had no loyalty to anyone but herself.

The rogue flattened herself against a wall as the bride's cousin wandered past, cooing at a baby in her arms. _Seems like interracial romances are a thing in that family_, Jessina thought, spying the infant's elven ears and purple skin.

She cast her eyes over the room. The bride was dancing with the goblin ambassador to Silvermoon, laughing as they tried to avoid tripping over each other or the woman's train. The groom was making his way over to one of the nearby tables, conveniently located in the darkest part of the room.

Jessina's keen eyes noticed that the Grand Magister was frowning, clearly unhappy with something he was seeing. She followed his gaze, her own eyes lighting up when she spotted Archmage Aethas Sunreaver slumped dejectedly at the table. He appeared to be drunk.

_Excellent,_ the spy thought. Proudmoore was particularly keen to gather information on Sunreaver, to discover something that she could use to convince the Alliance to take action against the former Kirin Tor mage.

The blood elf spy carefully eased herself forward. She crept as close to Sunreaver she dared, maneuvering herself so that she was watching the man in profile. She slowed her breathing right down as the Grand Magister seated himself across from his fellow mage.

"Aethas, you do realise that weddings are a happy event, and meant to be celebrated?" Rommath asked the Archmage dryly.

"Of course, my friend," Aethas replied, his words slurred. "I have raised my glass to you and your bride many times. I am so happy for you both."

"Then why do you look like you're about to defenestrate yourself?"

"What? Don't speak such nonsense, Rommath!" Aethas seemed to wilt a little under the Grand Magister's stare.

"Whatever is bothering you, Aethas," Rommath said, "you need to deal with, and quickly. I won't have you ruining Braelyn's day with your misery."

"I... yes, you're right," the archmage said. "I'm sorry, it's just that some troubling... aspects of my past have resurfaced lately." Aethas drained the last of his wine, signalling a nearby waiter for a refill.

Rommath frowned. "Is it Ellysan Hawke that's bothering you?" he asked. "I thought you had gotten over your attachment to her."

"Elly? No... she and I are fine now. Her husband is a good man."

"Then what is bothering you?" Rommath demanded. The Grand Magister looked like he was growing impatient. Jessina was willing to bet that he'd rather be by his bride's side.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise," Rommath growled. "Now talk."

"It's about the Divine Bell..." the archmage began, and the rogue's eyes lit up with glee.

_Bingo, _she thought.

"Oh, don't tell me you're _still _upset about Proudmoore's false accusations," Rommath said, clearly exasperated.

"They weren't false."

Jessina grinned as the Grand Magister choked on a mouthful of wine. This is just what Proudmoore wanted.

"What?" Rommath hissed, glaring at Aethas.

"I knew about the portal," the younger mage blurted out before burying his head in his hand. "I... just... "

"Lied to us?" Rommath supplied. Jessina smirked at the look of rage crossing the man's face.

"Yes," Aethas admitted. He sighed wearily. "I couldn't bear to tell Lor'themar the truth, not when he was so adamant in his support of me."

As Rommath glared at his companion, Jessina realised that this was the perfect time to slip away. She had all the information she needed to satisfy Lady Proudmoore's suspicions. She may even get a bonus for doing so well. Not even Proudmore had expected to get a direct confession out of the Archmage.

The blood elf spy slunk away, careful to keep herself against the wall, not knowing that Aethas Sunreaver's confession was far from over.

* * *

><p>Rommath hadn't wanted to come talk to Sunreaver. He'd wanted to spend the rest of the evening with his new wife, his arm around her waist, drinking in the goodwill of their friends and family. But Braelyn had seen how miserable Aethas looked, and, always the compassionate friend, sent her husband to speak with him.<p>

He wished he'd refused. He should have just kissed her silly and dragged her onto the dance floor. Or picked her up and carried her home. It was his _wedding day. _He should not have to worry about political bombshells or drunken associates. He should be focussed solely on Braelyn, and making her happy.

"What happened?" he said, forcing the words through clenched teeth.

"I swear that I didn't know about the portal before the theft of the Divine Bell took place!" Aethas said. "Please believe me, I never would have allowed it otherwise."

"I believe you," Rommath said. He didn't know whether he truly believed the other mage, or not, but he said it anyway, if only to calm Aethas down.

"I had to go to Domination Point to speak with General Nazgrim," Sunreaver continued. "While I was there, I noticed a portal that bore the magical signature of a Sunreaver mage. I was about to ask the General about it when a Horde adventure came through it, a Sunreaver and a few Orc soldiers behind him."

Aethas paused, running his hands over his robes to get rid of the cold sweat that had broken out all over his body. He ran his tongue over his lips, clearly agitated by his memories.

"I... ah, I confronted the mage, chiding him for using Kirin Tor resources to aid the Horde war effort when we were a neutral organisation. One of the orcs became very aggressive, threatening the lives of the blood elves stationed in Pandaria if I told Jaina what had happened."

Rommath growled. "Damn Hellscream and his lackeys!" The Grand Magister may be angry at the archmage, but he was not a stupid man. He knew that the orc's threat put Aethas in a very difficult position; tell Jaina, and risk the lives of his people, or try to conceal what had happened, and hope that Proudmoore never found out.

"I hope you understand the predicament I found myself in," Aethas whispered. "For the first time in my life, I found myself torn between the interests of my people, and those of the Kirin Tor. I didn't know how to resolve the conflict, so I took the coward's way out and looked the other way. I gambled on Jaina's wrath being less terrible than Garrosh's."

"And we know how that turned out," Rommath replied. "You should have told us, or at least Lor'themar."

"I know."

"In retrospect, I don't believe it would have mattered whether you told Jaina or not," Rommath said. "Ever since Theramore fell she'd been on the edge. Telling her about the portal would have just tipped her over that much earlier, and she'd still be calling for your head."

"What do I do, Rommath?"

"You say nothing until Braelyn and I get back from our honeymoon. When I've returned, we will go see Lor'themar and Halduron together. We will need to discuss what to do if Jaina ever finds out about this, as unlikely that may be."

Aethas nodded his agreement to what the Grand Magister was saying, some of the misery and stress disappearing from his face. He and Rommath had their disagreements over the years, but he trusted the Grand Magister with his life, and Aethas was in no doubt that his life could very well be put at risk by his confession.

"There is one thing I need you to do," Rommath said, and Aethas noted how stern the older mage was.

"Name it."

"You will not speak of this with my wife, or any of her friends and family," the Grand Magister said firmly. "Ever. Braelyn was offered the role of the Alliance ambassador to Silvermoon, and accepted. Proudmoore is likely to appeal to us directly for your arrest, knowing that Wrynn is unlikely to act in a way that jeopardises the peace. If she does go to Wrynn, however, it is better that my wife finds out about your lie then, to give her some plausible deniability. Proudmoore is liable to call her a traitor if Braelyn knew about it before hand, and said nothing."

"I'm sorry, Rommath," Aethas said. "I hadn't thought about the position this puts you and Braelyn in."

"If it weren't for this new job," Rommath replied, "it would have been of no importance. But, being the ambassador puts her in a delicate position. I would not have chosen it for her, as it places her at risk and means that I can no longer be as open with her about my own job as I would like. She will have to learn about the consequences of her choice on her own, though. I cannot shield her from that, as much as I would love to."

The Grand Magister ran his hand over his face. "I suggest you go home, Aethas, and sober up," he said, getting to his feet. "I refuse to spend any more time on this matter. It is my wedding, and I plan to spend as much of it by my bride's side as possible."

He turned and walked off before Aethas had time to reply. He headed over to Braelyn, swiftly stealing her away from Boxer. She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he spun her around. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled, calming him instantly, and easing his troubled mind.

"Is Aethas all right?" Braelyn asked, kissing him softly.

"Yes, dear heart," Rommath said. "Just some shadows that needed banishing. He needed someone to put things into perspective."

"I'm glad," his wife said. "I want everyone to be as happy as we are today."

"I don't think that's possible," he replied, and hugged her close.

_Light, let Proudmoore never find out. Please keep my Braelyn out of that witch's sight._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>I got Aethas' knowledge of the Sunreaver portal to Darnassus and the theft of the Divine Bell from Wowpedia or WoWiki. I had guessed what he knew from playing the game, although he never actually came out and said it.

I can understand why Jaina's personality changed so much, though I really don't like it.

Next Chapter: The newlyweds return home, and Braelyn gets stuck into her new job. The first diplomatic crisis happens sooner than she thought, and stirs up some memories she'd rather had stayed buried.


	3. Blood in the water

Braelyn looked back wistfully at the secluded beach side cabin as her husband summoned a portal to Silvermoon. She never would have picked the Cape of Stranglethorn as an ideal honeymoon location, but it had been perfect; white sand, warm weather, and crystal clear waters.

For two whole weeks it had just been her and Rommath, free to do whatever they wanted, without worrying about offending anyone, or shirking their duties.

"Do we have to go back?" Braelyn asked, pouting. Her husband smirked at her as he finished the summons.

"Of course," he said, reaching for her hand. "As much as I'd love to stay here with my beautiful wife and live a life of idle indulgence, you and I both know that Quel'Thalas is likely to fall apart without us." He kissed Braelyn's hand, smiling as she sighed in mock resignation.

"Right as always, my love," she said.

Braelyn picked up her bags, dodging Rommath when he attempted to carry them for her. As the young hunter walked through the portal, she had no idea that she was trading the tropical paradise of Stranglethorn for a diplomatic disaster.

Jaina Proudmoore was on the warpath, and her actions could cost Braelyn everything.

Including her marriage.

* * *

><p>Braelyn didn't know why she was so surprised about being summoned back to Stormwind so soon, but she was. She guessed it was just her naive heart wishing that she'd been able to enjoy being married for longer than three weeks before being dragged back into the real world.<p>

King Varian's message had been short; she was to report to Stormwind Keep for a full meeting of the Alliance Council. Braelyn knew immediately that something important had happened, or was about to. The Alliance heads of state rarely met outside of formal meetings; gathering the Alliance leadership in one place was a huge security risk, even during a truce.

When she entered the keep, Braelyn tried to smother her nerves. It was the first time she'd be meeting the leaders of the Alliance, save Kings Varian and Genn. She was particularly nervous about meeting Tyrande Whisperwind. The Night Elf high priestess was an idol of hers.

Then there was Jaina Proudmoore.

Braelyn used to admire the leader of the Kirin Tor, back when she'd been a level-headed voice for peace. The new Lady Proudmoore was something different. Braelyn could understand the mage's anger, but not the way she chose to express it. It was hard to respect, let alone like, someone who was prepared to plunge the world into another war just to gain custody of an innocent man. A man who also happened to be Braelyn's friend.

It was hard not to notice the tension in the air as she got closer to the meeting room. Guards from all the Alliance races stood diligently along the hallways, and Braelyn would have to have been blind not to notice the looks she was getting from the Kirin Tor mages. She had expected some dislike, hatred even, but that wasn't how they were staring at her. No, their eyes were full of smug satisfaction, as if they knew something of vital importance to her, while she was ignorant.

Braelyn's stomach clenched with anxiety as she began to fear that this meeting had something to with Lady Proudmoore and her crusade against the Sin'dorei. She wished she could have brought her husband or Odariah with her, but Rommath was banned for obvious reasons, while her cousin was spending all her time with her own husband and new son.

A couple of Stormwind guards opened the door to the meeting room, and Braelyn walked in with as much confidence as she could muster.

She prayed she looked calmer than she felt.

* * *

><p>The first thing Braelyn noticed was that she was the only ambassador present at the meeting. This meant that whatever was being discussed only involved the blood elves, all but confirming her suspicions about the Kirin Tor.<p>

_What is she up to now? _Braelyn thought as her eyes met those of Lady Proudmoore. Jaina sat watching her as if she were a cat, and Braelyn a mouse. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes hinted at some emotion Braelyn couldn't quite identify. Vindictiveness? Mockery?

Beside Lady Proudmoore sat a High Elf woman wearing the tabard of the Silver Covenant. She was blonde, and very beautiful, but _her _eyes were full of hatred, and a whole lot of anger.

Braelyn assumed that this woman was Vereesa Windrunner, which caused her anxiety to increase. Rommath had told her about the leader of the Covenant. Sylvanas' sister had always been rather contemptuous of the Sin'dorei, but that contempt had turned to hatred after her husband, Rhonin, was killed during the fall of Theramore. She held all the blood elves responsible for the actions of Thalen Songweaver, and was enthusiastic in her support of Lady Proudmoore's warmongering.

"Ambassador Hawke," King Varian said, striding forward to shake her hand, "It's good to see you again."

"Thank you, Your Highness," she replied. "It is always a joy to visit Stormwind."

The King introduced her to the gathered dignitaries, and Braelyn was proud to say that she did not make a fool of herself in front of Tyrande Whisperwind or Jaina Proudmoore. The night elf had been friendly and warm, while her Kirin Tor counterpart had been cold and distant.

She was asked to sit at the large round table, right next to King Varian and facing Lady Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner. She tried to stay calm, but her gut was telling her that something terrible was about to go down. In an effort to soothe her mind, she poured herself a glass of water, and took a long drink.

"How may I be of service to the Alliance, my lord?" she asked, trying to ignore Lady Proudmoore's indelicate snort.

"I have asked for you to meet with us today because Lady Proudmoore has come into possession of some information concerning the theft of the Divine Bell from Darnassus," Varian said, watching his ambassador closely.

Braelyn had always considered herself to be a patient woman. The kind of person who held her temper in check, or held off forming a definite opinion, until she had all the facts. The issue of the Divine Bell, however, was causing her to become increasingly frustrated. Proudmoore's obsession over something that was so trivial in comparison to the real problems that Azeroth faced, was almost incomprehensible .

_Why can't she just let it go? _

Braelyn sighed, and resisted the urge to facepalm. "I must admit that I am surprised you are a holding a special meeting for this, King Varian," she confessed. "Haven't we got more important issues to discuss? Like new trade and settlement agreements?"

"You think the breach of my nation's sovereign borders a triviality?" Tyrande Whisperwind asked. She did not sound angry, merely curious, as if trying to figure out the human woman's way of thinking.

"Of course not, High Priestess!" Braelyn said, looking Tyrande right in the eye. "My cousin is married to a night elf; I consider the well-being of his people as important to me as my own."

"Then why are you against talking about the Divine Bell?" the night elf inquired.

"Forgive me if I came across as insensitive," Braelyn replied. "That was not my intent. The reason for my reluctance is that Azeroth is enjoying an unprecedented level of stability right now. We have opened up new trade and travel routes, and are enjoying cultural and study exchanges that were considered impossible five years ago. All that will be jeopardized if we continue to argue over the events of the past, if we do not learn how to forgive, and be forgiven in turn."

"A lovely sentiment, child," Prophet Valen said in his calm, soothing voice. "Well worthy of the Light."

Braelyn was beyond pleased that at least one person agreed with her on this.

"And what of justice?" Jaina demanded. "Should I allow a great crime to go unpunished for fear of upsetting the wrong people? Why should I not persevere in my efforts to hold Sunreaver accountable for his betrayal?"

"We should all strive to uphold justice," Braelyn replied, "but is the relentless hounding of an innocent man justice? And is it really the theft of the Bell that drives your quest for vengeance, my Lady?"

"Be careful, Ambassador," King Varian warned her, as Jaina and Vereesa hissed angrily. "Mind your tone."

"I apologise," Braelyn said stiffly.

"'An innocent man'?" Jaina spat. "Sunreaver is far from innocent! I may not know the true extent of his people's involvement in the destruction of Theramore, but I know he was involved in the theft, _I know it. _

"I hear by request that the Alliance seek the arrest of Archmage Aethas Sunreaver, and his transfer into Kirin Tor custody. By force, if necessary."

"What?" Braelyn exclaimed, struggling to keep calm. "My King," she added, beseeching Varian, "if the Alliance agrees to this, then Regent Lord Theron will view it as an attack on Quel'Thalas, and so will Warchief Vol'jin. The Horde will rise up in support of Silvermoon."

"Then so be it," Jaina said. Braelyn was astounded.

"You would compromise the peace, and risk all our people's lives in order to pursue your petty vendetta against the Sunreavers?" she asked, incredulous. "Over something that you have never been able to prove?"

"Oh, I can prove it, Ambassador," Lady Proudmoore said smugly. "In fact, I have you to thank for helping me to obtain the truth."

Braelyn froze, her glass of water half way to her mouth. She looked at Jaina in disbelief, before turning her gaze to the other Alliance leaders. Varian's face was impassive, as were most of the others, save Genn Graymane and the Prophet Valen, who were looking at her with sympathy.

"What do you mean?" Braelyn asked, horrified by the uncertainty in her force. _In the past two and half years, Jaina has never been able to prove her claim against Aethas. What has changed, and how does it involve me?_

"Well, Ambassador Hawke, it seems your dear friend Aethas had a rather interesting conversation at your wedding," Jaina said, almost purring with glee. "It involved him confessing his knowledge of the Sunreaver portal."

_My wedding? Wait, how would she...?_

"Excuse me, Lady Proudmoore," Braelyn asked, "but how would you know what happened at my wedding? I don't recall inviting any members of the Kirin Tor."

"Oh, none of us would have attended if you had," Jaina replied spitefully. "I did, however, send someone along to witness the treasonous stupidity. Someone who stuck mainly to the shadows, or so I was told."

It took a few seconds for Braelyn to comprehend what Proudmoore was telling her, but when she did, she felt anger surge through her. Her face flushed as she clenched her hands into fists.

"_You spied on my wedding?!" _she demanded, fury lacing her tone, not even trying to keep her voice civil. She was pleased when she heard Moira Thaurissan ask the same thing with disgust in her voice.

"Yes," Proudmoore confessed. "It was too good an opportunity to pass up. People often have loose tongues during celebrations." The mage did not look the least bit repentant. Quite the opposite; she looked as if she was enjoying Braelyn's anger immensely.

Braelyn turned to the King. "My lord, did you know about this?" she asked. She was disappointed when the king nodded, but was mollified by the angry look on his face. It appeared he was less than thrilled with Jaina's actions.

Taking a deep breath, Braelyn calmed herself before facing Lady Proudmoore once more. "You'll forgive me if I do not consider the word of a Kirin Tor spy to have much credibility on this matter, I hope?"

"Of course," Jaina replied, another smug smile slitting across her face. "But it wasn't a Tirin Kor spy," she added. "It was a blood elf."

That revelation did surprise Braelyn. While there had been a few disloyal individuals appear, blood elves in general were very tight knit and devoted to their race.

"I'm afraid that does little to change my opinion," Braelyn said stubbornly. "This spy could just be telling you what you want to hear. Does he or she have written proof of what Aethas said? And can it be verified? It can be easy to a forge a few documents if you know the right people. So far, your 'proof' is nothing more than 'he-said/she-said'."

The Ambassador turned to the rest of the Council. "Do you really want to risk peace over such flimsy evidence?"

Braelyn fought the urge to smirk as she saw Lady Proudmoore's neck and face redden in anger. The mage obviously hadn't thought that her word would be called into question. It was borderline amusing to watch the leader Kirin Tor's face as she realised that, once again, her petty vendetta was forced to an abrupt end.

But Braelyn underestimated how determined Jaina Proudmoore and her followers were to have their revenge.

With an elegant eyebrow lift, Veressa leant forward and placed her hand on Lady Proudmoore's arm and muttered something under her breath. She then looked at Braelyn with eyes that seemed to peer right into her soul.

"Tell me, human," the high elf said, "do you trust your husband?"

Braelyn was startled. What did Rommath have to do with the Sunreaver portal? _Oh, please, _she thought, _they aren't going to try to convince me that he knew about the portal, too?_

"I beg your pardon?" she asked.

"Do you trust your husband?" the high elf repeated, her lips twisting upwards in a small smile. "It's a simple enough question."

"I know it is," Braelyn said, uncertain of where this line of questioning was taking her. "I just fail to see its relevance."

"I must say I agree," King Varian said, giving Vereesa a warning look.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," the high elf replied, "but it is very relevent." Vereesa shifted her gaze back to Braelyn. "You see, Ambassador, our spy overheard Aethas make a confession to another man during your wedding reception."

As Vereesa paused to give her another piercing glance, Braelyn felt a sudden desire to flee the room. She _knew _ what the elf was going to say next, knew who the second man was going to be.

And she didn't want to hear it.

"That man," Veressa said, "was Grand Magister Rommath."

* * *

><p><strong>AN- <strong> oh dear. Three weeks and things are already disrupting the Braelyn/Rommath marriage. I must confess that I toyed with the idea of the spy being Denaria Daybreak, gaining her revenge. I didn't run with it with because while she may be a bitch, Denaria is no traitor.

Also, this story is likely to be a lot shorter than Watcher.

Next Chapter: Braelyn buys Aethas some time as she returns to Silvermoon to confront Rommath about Vereesa's revelation. Rommath's reaction causes Braelyn to relive some very painful memories.


	4. Confrontations

"No," Braelyn said, her voice rock hard and steady. "Rommath would have told me if Aethas had confessed to such a thing." Yet even as she voiced her denial, she recalled what her husband had said to her about his conversation with the Archmage.

_"Just some shadows that needed banishing."_

The theft of the Divine Bell was certainly a shadow, all right. Only it was proving pretty damn hard to banish.

Tyrande Whispering gave a delicate cough and looked at Braelyn with sympathy. "It could be that he was trying to protect you from the fallout," the night elf suggested. "He is a very intelligent man from what I've heard. He would have known that you having prior knowledge of Sunreaver's confession would put your loyalty to the Alliance under scrutiny."

As much as Braelyn wanted to keep protesting that Rommath would never have lied to her, she was smart enough to see the sense in Tyrande's argument. It was exactly what her husband would do to try to protect her. It didn't mean, however, that she was happy with him. He might have saved her from a few 'oh, so she _is _a traitor' comments', which she'd been dealing with the for the past two years anyway, but he still put her in a very awkward position. If he had told her, she could have worked it to her advantage, acted like it was her bringing the information to the table, not Jaina.

And she sure as hell would not have felt so helpless.

"You know, there is _another _explanation," Vereesa Windrunner said, leaning forward in her chair. She was smiling in a way that put Braelyn on edge. "It's possible your beloved husband hid the truth from you because he doesn't trust you. You are, after all, the Alliance ambassador," she added maliciously. "Do you really think he'd share Sin'dorei secrets with the enemy?"

"I am not his enemy!" Braelyn retorted, finally losing her temper. "I'm his wife! He does trust me!"

"Oh, nobody said _you_ were his enemy," Veressa said. "I'm sure he's quite fond of you, in his own way. But you do work for the Alliance, and we are all aware of how little the Grand Magister respects the Alliance in general, and humans in particular. It's possible he didn't tell you because he knew that you would do your duty and report this to King Varian, which is something the Sin'dorei wouldn't want to happen. "

Braelyn bit her tongue, partly to avoid saying something that would get her into serious trouble, and partly in frustration. The bitchy high elf was right; despite his marriage to her, Rommath still held most of humanity and the Alliance in contempt, making exceptions only for her friends and family. She thought his attitudes were mellowing, but what if he was only pretending in order to make her happy?

Braelyn hated this; hated how blind and powerless she felt, and hated how Lady Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner were making her doubt Rommath. Three weeks. They'd been married for three weeks, and she was already questioning his trust in her. What a wonderful wife she was.

But what if they were right?

"What do you expect me to do?" she asked, frustration seeping into her voice.

"Your job," Lady Proudmoore said bluntly. "Report to Theron that we know the truth, and expect him to place Aethas in our custody or face the consequences."

Braelyn chewed on her lower lip, a habit she had been trying to break with little success. She realised that her hands were tied on this issue. As the ambassador, she had to follow the will of the king, regardless of her own wishes. She knew that she could always just quit, but she was uncomfortable with that idea. Surely there was _something _she could do to help Aethas, to hold Jaina and Vereesa in check, while still maintaining her loyalty to King Varian.

If she could only think of it.

"Excuse me, Lady Proudmoore," Moira Thaurissan interrupted loudly, "but I believe Ambassador Hawke answers ta Varian, not ta you." Braelyn stared at the Dwarven princess in gratitude, and was pleasantly surprised to see the woman wink at her. Jaina glared at them, nonplussed.

"That's right, Moira, she does," Varian said, and the expression in his face showed his displeasure with the current situation. He eyed Braelyn thoughtfully.

"Your highness," Braelyn said, an idea popping into her head suddenly, "before deciding on your course of action, will you allow me to engage in negotiations with the blood elves?"

"What?" Lady Proudmoore snapped. "You can't be serious! That would cost us our advantage. If the Sin'dorei know we have proof of Aethas' treachery, they will hide him away. We may never find him."

"Doesn't part of my job involve trying to diffuse situations before they turn into open conflict?" Braelyn asked, ignoring Proudmoore and focusing on the king. "Lor'themar is a good man. He will not risk the safety of his people if Aethas is truly guilty. Let me talk to him. Please."

"You still doubt?" Veressa asked, incredulous.

"Yes," Braelyn replied. _Though perhaps not as much as I had, _she added silently.

"Very well, Braelyn," Varian said. "Speak to Lor'themar, and see what he has to say about Sunreaver. Make sure you stress the importance of this matter."

"My King, you cannot seriously be..." Jaina protested, leaping to her feet in anger.

"Enough, Jaina!" Varian yelled. "I have made my decision. A week or two will not make much of a difference if Sunreaver _is _guilty. If he isn't, well, we may just avoid needless slaughter."

Jaina Proudmoore looked _furious. _She managed to bite out a, "As you wish, Your Highness" before dropping a curtsy and stalking out of the room, Vereesa at her heels. Both women glared at Braelyn with hatred in their eyes, but the hunter was too shocked to pay much attention to them. She couldn't believe she managed to get her way.

"Ambassador Hawke, please return to Silvermoon and deal with this as quickly as you can," Varian instructed. "Any delay will just add fuel to Jaina's fire. Everyone else, I suggest we go have lunch before tackling any other important issues."

Braelyn nodded to the king, before curtsying. She delayed leaving, though, in order to place herself next to Moira Thaurissan. She gave the Dwarf a grateful smile. "Thank you for your timely interruption, Princess Moira," she said. The female Dwarf returned the smile.

"Aye, lass, don' mention it," she said. "I know what it's like ta have loved an' married a man that everyone else hated an' mistrusted. Us rebels have ta stick tagether. Besides, I agree with ya about Proudmoore's proof. There's no substance ta it. Even if Sunreaver is guilty, I would'na feel right using tha word of a spy against 'im."

"That mean's a lot to me," Braelyn said. "Aethas has been my friend for over two years, and a friend of my mother's for far longer. He was so loyal to the Kirin Tor, I cannot believe he would work against them, especially not for a man like Hellscream."

"Aye," Moira replied. "I don' envy yer position, Braelyn, but I do respect ya for takin' on tha job. It shows the strength an' determination of tha Dwarves, considerin' who ya married."

"I must admit that I began to doubt the wisdom of accepting the King's offer once Lady Poudmoore got started," Braelyn confessed.

"Now, lass," Moira admonished her, "Don' ya let that woman cause you any grief just because _she_ don' know how ta deal with her own. Tha's all it is, ya know. Tha loss of Theramore did a lot o' damage ta her spirit."

"I'll try," the human replied. "But I better head back to Silvermoon. I want this dealt with quickly."

"Be safe, lass, an' if ya ever need a shoulder ta cry on, ya come talk ta me, okay?"

"Thank you," Braelyn replied. "I will see you again shortly." She curtsied to the Dwarven princess and then headed off towards the Mage's Quarter.

* * *

><p>As Braelyn walked through the portal connecting Stormwind to Silvermoon she did not know whether she was angry at the situation she found herself in, or upset. What she did know was that Rommath better have a damn good excuse for not telling her about Aethas' confession before she went to Stormwind.<p>

She walked from the portal room of Sunfury Spire into the throne room, her lowerlip caught between her teeth. Her eyes immediately drifted to where Rommath usually stood, but today he was absent. Lor'themar Theron noticed her appearance and waved her over.

"How did it go?" the Regent Lord asked. "Is an invasion imminent?" The man was joking, but when he saw the look on Braelyn's face, his humour vanished.

"Awful," Braelyn answered. "It was awful, and I'm warning you now, my husband has some serious explaining to do."

"Whatever happened?" Halduron Brightwing asked.

"Jaina Proudmoore happened."

"By the Light," Lor'themar said, "what has that wretched woman done now?"

"Besides spy on my wedding?" Braelyn asked. Both of her companions gasped.

"She what?" Lor'themar snapped. "She dared to violate my nation's sovereignty?"

"Not exactly," Braelyn replied. "The spy was a blood elf, so technically speaking, the only crime committed was gate crashing and trespass."

"And what, pray tell," the Regent Lord asked, "did she uncover that required your presence at a full meeting of the Alliance council?"

"Apparently, Aethas confessed to knowing about the Sunreaver portal that was used to steal the Divine Bell."

Lor'themar and Halduron were both politicians, and had been so for many years. This meant that they had had a long time to learn how to keep their faces blank, to obscure their true thoughts and feelings. Despite this, Braelyn, who had spent a lot of her time as a hostage observing and studying the Sin'dorei race, was still able to detect a glimmer of unease in the two elves' eyes.

_They knew._

Of course they knew. No doubt Rommath had spoken to them, probably as soon as they got back from Stranglethorn. Braelyn sighed, a touch angrily, and stared at the two men.

"I can tell that news is of no surprise to either of you," she said, proud that she remained professional. "We will need to discuss this, now if possible. I'm assuming I don't need to tell you what Lady Proudmoore is after?"

"Our head's on pikes?" Halduron offered with a wry grin. Braelyn couldn't bring herself to smile.

"Pretty much."

"So predictable," Lor'themar sneered. "Very well, Ambassador Hawke, I will have one of my couriers fetch Rommath, and then..."

"No!" Braelyn interrupted, a little more forcefully than she intended. She blushed as the Regent Lord raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm, ah, sorry, Regent Lord," she said, "but, trust me, you do not want Rommath and me in the same room right now."

Halduron chuckled slightly, smothering it with a cough when Braelyn glared at him.

"As you wish," Lor'themar replied. "We can fill Rommath in later."

* * *

><p>By the time her 'discussion' with the Regent Lord was over, Braelyn could clearly define her emotional state as 'catastrophically angry'. After she had finished explaining to Lor'themar and Halduron what had happened at the meeting, she had expected some information in return. Namely, whether or not Aethas <em>had <em>confessed, and, in the case of a confession, what his exact words were.

But they told her nothing.

When Braelyn pushed for an explanation, she was told that the 'Sin'dorei leadership needed to discuss the situation in light of the Alliance's threat' and that they would let her know when they were ready to make a response. Lor'themar gave her a look that made it clear that the matter was not open to a debate.

They told her nothing, but in doing so, revealed everything.

Auriel greeted her with a happy smile and a "welcome home, mistress" as she walked into her house. Seeing the look on her face, he immediately fetched Braelyn a glass of wine, and did not hesitate to leave when Braelyn suggested he find something to do outside.

Rommath was upstairs in the library, something that upset Braelyn further as she did not want the first argument of their married life to take place in their favourite room. She stopped in the doorway, trying to gather her thoughts and calm her ragged breathing.

Her husband sat at his desk, working his way though the never-ending pile of paperwork. She could tell he was expecting a difficult conversation as he was still wearing his helm, the one that covered half his face. He liked to mask his thoughts and feelings when in tense situations, even if was with his wife.

He did not look up, even when the tensing of his shoulders revealed his awareness of her presence.

"Did Aethas confess?" Braelyn demanded. She saw no reason not to get to the point.

"Braelyn..." her husband warned, finally meeting her gaze. His eyes were firm, not even wavering when he saw how angry Braelyn was. He stood up, and made to take her hands in his, but Braelyn avoided him, and moved to the window. She gazed blindly down into the streets.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's Sin'dorei business, not the Alliance's," he replied curtly, and she spun around to stare at him in disbelief.

"I'm not just the ambassador, Rommath, I'm your wife!" Braelyn reminded him. "You should have told me!"

"Why? So Proudmoore could call you traitor? Maybe go for _your_ head instead of Sunreaver's?"

"Oh, for the Light's sake, Rommath! I've dealt with that sort of thing for two years. The King would never let her do anything. He knows the truth."

"You needed plausible deniability!" her husband persisted stubbornly.

"Bullshit! What I _needed _was to not look like a fool in front of the _entire Alliance council_ as Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner mocked me for being ignorant," Braelyn said, fists clutched angrily at her side. "What I needed was to not feel so blind and helpless." She took a deep breath as she realised that tears were forming in her eyes.

"What I need," she added in a softer voice, "is a husband who trusts me." She sniffed, and hastily wiped her eyes on her tabard.

"I do trust you, Braelyn," Rommath sighed, and attempted to touch her cheek, but she slapped his hand away. "I trust you with my life, but surely you knew that you could find yourself in such a position one day? As much as I love you, I can't share everything with you while you work for the Alliance."

"I can't believe you just said that," Braelyn hissed, poking her finger into Rommath's chest. "I talked with you about whether or not I should take this job, and you were fine with it, but _now _you're getting pissy?"

"I am not 'getting pissy'," Rommath replied, grabbing her finger in his hand and holding it to his chest. "I'm merely pointing out the rather obvious consequences of you taking on this role. Did you honestly think that it would be easy? That I could tell you all the details of Sin'dorei politics, including the ones that compromise the safety of Quel'Thalas, _or you_?"

Braelyn knew her husband was correct on that point, but she was still angry. Still felt hurt and a little betrayed. So she continued to push Rommath.

"Did Aethas confess?" she demanded for the second time. Rommath snorted and dropped her hand. "I'm not asking as the ambassador, Rommath, I'm asking as your wife, and Aethas' friend."

"I can't tell you that until I've spoken with Lor'themar and Halduron." Rommath's jaw was clenched, his eyes stubborn.

"I... I..." Braelyn stammered. "Damn it! Do you have any idea what it was like for me? They enjoyed taunting me, Rommath. I could see it in their eyes, and I had no way of defending myself because I had no idea of what they really knew. Why can't you just tell me?"

Rommath stood glaring at her for a good minute. Braelyn stared back, daring him to decide that his job was more important than her.

"Gods, you're so stubborn," he snapped, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Braelyn smirked victoriously. "You knew that when you married me, now spill."

"Aethas did confess to knowing about the Sunreaver portal used to steal the Divine Bell," Rommath said. He folded his arms over his chest.

Braelyn felt disappointed. She'd been hoping for everyone's sake that Proudmoore was lying, but now it seemed that Aethas was the liar.

Seeing his wife's distress, Rommath reached out and stroked her head. Braelyn smiled sadly at him, before she got a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. "What exactly did Aethas say?" she asked. "He seemed pretty drunk, maybe we can suggest that the spy misheard him?"

Rommath snorted. "I can't believe that bitch spied on our wedding."

"I can," Braelyn retorted. "Now, tell me what he said."

"He said 'I knew about the portal'," Rommath said.

"That's it?" Braelyn asked. "That's all he said? How can that be a confession? I mean, we _all _knew about the portal at some stage."

"You know Proudmoore," Rommath replied. "She'll pounce on anything she thinks she can use to pursue her vendetta."

Braelyn had been gazing at her husband's chest as they spoke, but she looked up in time to see his eyebrows twitch. She narrowed her eyes. Twitching eyebrows meant that Rommath wasn't being completely honest.

"What else did he say, Rommath?"

"Nothing."

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Braelyn yelled. Rommath glared back at her. He should have known that she'd see he was hiding something.

"This conversation is over, Braelyn," he snapped, and returned to his desk, burying himself in paperwork once more. "Lor'themar will decide if you need to know anything else."

Braelyn stood in stunned silence, not believing that her husband had shut her down so coldly. For a moment he seemed to have traveled back in time to when Braelyn had been a very unwelcome presence in his life. She gasped, then turned to the window once more, leaning against the glass because she lacked the strength to stay upright any other way.

Emotionally, she was a wreck. She was angry still, but that anger was beginning to be overwhelmed by hurt, and an emotion she'd hoped she would never feel again; betrayal. She let the tears flow, hot and fast, down her cheeks as memories she'd long kept buried in the very back of her mind began to surface.

She started to remember the last time a man she loved had left her feeling betrayed and blind, and stuck in an awfully difficult situation with no idea how to free herself.

With a soft groan, she remembered _him, _the dashing rogue who stole her heart just as she was starting out on her life as an adventurer. Braelyn could picture him so clearly that it was as if they had parted yesterday, instead of almost a decade ago. He was older than her by at least ten years, but had a youthful spirit. He was only a few inches taller than her, with a stocky, muscular build that belied his roguish grace. Golden hair, honey skin, and brown eyes that were alert to everything.

"Jack," she murmured, unaware that her husband heard her. Braelyn sighed. She really didn't need to be dealing with memories of him on top of everything else. She pushed away from the window, intending to head to the Wayfarer's Rest Inn for a drink, only to find Rommath standing in front of her with his eyes narrowed.

"Who's Jack?" he demanded, no longer frustrated or angry, but jealous. He reached out and grabbed Braelyn's shoulders, pulling her to him. She blushed, and was flustered for a moment, but then remembered that she was still mad at him.

"Someone you don't need to know about," she said, attempting to free herself. "Now, let go of me, I need a drink."

"I'm not letting you leave me like this, Braelyn," Rommath replied. "I'm done with letting you run away when you don't want to deal with something." When Braelyn continued to struggle, he bent down and placed a gentle kiss below her earlobe, which she thought most unfair, as it was one of her sensitive spots.

"Let me go, Rommath, please," she said, trying to resist giving in to him. "I need to go, I need space, I need to..."

"Tell me why you're so upset," Rommath supplied, kissing her again. "Tell my why you want to leave so desperately." His arms tightened around her, and she let herself relax against his chest. "And you definitely have to tell me who this Jack is."

"It was a long time ago," she whispered. "I don't like talking about it."

"You know I won't judge you, dear heart," her husband said, placing a kiss on the crown of her head.

It was the endearment that did it. Braelyn wrapped her arms around Rommath's waist and burst into tears. "It all began in Stormwind," she choked out between sobs. "I was 18 and desperate to escape my parents' shadow..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN- <strong>wooooooo drama! I hope no one was expecting Rommath and Braelyn to have stopped arguing about stuff.

Hey, Bohmz, are you still reading?

Next chapter: we take a stroll down Braelyn's memory lane, and learn why she's so stubborn, why she used to depend on her friends so much, and why she hates rogues (with the exception of Bitsie).


	5. That girl needs therapy

"It all began on my 18th birthday," Braelyn said through her tears as Rommath guided her to their favourite couch. He sat down, pulling her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his cheek.

"I'd gone to Stormwind to meet up with Odariah," she continued in a soft voice. "We were planning to go to Duskwood, the first stop on our grand adventure, but my cousin was delayed by her duties to the Church."

Braelyn was silent for a few minutes as she brought her tears and her breathing under control, grateful for her husband's comforting touch. "How I wish I'd gone home to wait for her. Things would have been so different..." her tone was wistful. "Instead I decided to stay in the city for a few days.

"Not long after saying goodbye to Odariah, I ran into a rogue; or, rather, _he_ ran into _me_. He was unlike anyone I'd ever met; not handsome in a traditional sense, but captivating all the same."

Braelyn stopped talking as Rommath made a disgruntled sound. She looked up to see her husband frowning. She smiled. "Do not worry, Rommath" she said, "he doesn't even rate a mention compared to you."

"I'm glad to hear it," he replied, jealousy still colouring his tone. "If he did, we wouldn't have to worry about the Sunreaver portal starting a war. It would be my charging into Stormwind and setting rogues on fire that would be the catalyst."

Braelyn laughed quietly and allowed Rommath to kiss her. "To give you the abridged version of the story, Jack literally charmed the pants off me," she said, rubbing her husband's back soothingly when the man growled. "I was young and unexperienced, unable to see through the cracks of his endearing façade. He captured my heart, so when he appealed to me for help, I gave it, even though my instincts were telling me that something wasn't quite right about him."

"Rogues are famous for their ability to manipulate people and situations to their advantage," Rommath told her. "Do not be too harsh on yourself, dear heart."

Braelyn nodded her head in understanding, pressing a gentle kiss to Rommath's temple. "Jack told me that thieves had broken into his house and stolen a number of priceless family heirlooms, mainly books."

"And he needed your help to retrieve them?" Rommath asked.

"Yes," his wife replied with a wry smile. "He'd managed to track the thieves down to a small cabin, tucked away in the depths of Elwynn Forest, across the river from the borders of Westfall and Duskwood."

Braelyn shuddered. "I love Elwynn, but that part of it is very disturbing. I don't know if it's the proximity to Duskwood that causes it, but it feels oppressive and gloomy. The air is musty smelling, and it is unnaturally quiet. It's an area I've always avoided."

She frowned as she remembered just how uncomfortable she'd been, walking through those silent woods. It was so quiet and still that if she hadn't seen the birds sitting in the trees watching them, or the wolves slinking their way through the shadows, Braelyn would have thought that the area was devoid of wildlife.

"The group of thieves was surprisingly small," Braelyn recalled. "Jack and I managed to take call of them without too much trouble, although it was the first time I'd ever killed a person. It took me a while to calm down after that, by which time I'd realised something about Jack."

"That he was a jerk, and not worthy of your time, let alone your affections?" Rommath asked. Braelyn laughed.

"Oh, how I love you," she whispered, kissing him again. "But no," she continued. "I learned that he was a nobleman, though he refused to admit to it."

"A nobleman?"

"Yes. The stolen books were _exquisite_, not to mention antiques. They were the kind of thing you'd see in the Mage's Tower, or the private libraries of the wealthiest families. Hell, _I _wanted to steal them!" Braelyn confessed. "My mother would have killed to get her hands on some of them."

"Perhaps he stole them himself before the other thieves got their hands on them?" Rommath suggested.

"I thought so, too," Braelyn replied, "but the look in his eyes when I said that convinced me otherwise. I think the only true thing he ever told me was that those books belonged to his family."

"So what happened then?"

"SI: 7 showed up."

"What?!" Rommath exclaimed, coughing as he started to choke on the wine he'd been drinking.

Braelyn giggled at her husband's reaction before continuing her story. "I didn't know they were SI: 7 then, although I found out later that Jack did. At the time, I thought they were more thieves. I set Growly on them while Jack ran around grabbing as many books as he could.

"We managed to escape the cabin through one of the back windows. Jack suggested we split up, and head to Goldshire separately. Like the fool I was, I agreed. He slipped away towards Stormwind, while I took a more direct route to Goldshire.

"I got caught ten minute later. Because I thought they were thieves, I fought for my life, and because _they _thought _I _was a thief, they did not go easy on me."

Braelyn had to stop talking as Rommath gripped her tightly. He kissed her, running his hands over her body as if to reassure himself that she was okay. "How badly were you hurt?" he demanded, eyes bright with fury.

"I was fine, Rommath," she said. "Really," she added firmly when he started to protest. "I got some nasty bruises and a few cuts. A couple of broken ribs."

Braelyn ran her fingers along her husband's jaw in an effort to get the angry elf to calm down. It took a while, but Rommath finally brought his emotions back under control.

"I also got knocked unconscious," Braelyn said. "When I came to, I was in the Stockades. I really freaked out, thinking I was stuck in a random dungeon. Some of the SI: 7 agents turned up, but I didn't believe them when they said who they were. I only calmed down when Rell Nightwind and Mathias Shaw turned up."

"You knew Shaw and Nightwind?"

"Honey, everyone knows who they are," Braelyn said. "You wouldn't think that rogues could be so famous, and yet be so good at their jobs, would you?"

She paused for a moment, frowning. "Their appearance calmed me down, but only because I realised how much trouble I was in," she said. She laughed softly before continuing. "I still remember thinking that it was all a mistake, that they thought that Jack and I were part of the thieves' gang, and that it I just explained everything, it would be all right."

"But it wasn't, was it?" Rommath sighed gently, caressing her lower back.

Braelyn shook her head. "No," she said. "At first they thought I was lying, that I was just acting the innocent girl to get myself out of gaol. It was only when I finally broke down and told them who I was, who my _parents _were, that they thought I might be telling the truth.

"They wanted to get my parents to identify me, but I begged Shaw not to get them involved. I knew that my father would lock me in the house for the rest of my life if he found out about it all, and my poor mother... " Braelyn groaned in embarrassment. "Mum was just about to retire. I didn't want the last weeks of her career tarnished by my stupidity. So I asked them to fetch Odariah."

"I bet that went well," Rommath smirked. He was very fond of his wife's cousin, one of the few humans besides Braelyn who had earned both his respect and his friendship.

"Odariah was furious when she found out what happened," Braelyn said. "I mean, she _really _flipped her shit, both at me, and at Shaw and Nightwind for upsetting me."

"I wish I had seen that."

"Hmph," Braelyn said, elbowing Rommath in the ribs. "Anyway, after Odariah had stopped yelling, they told me who Jack really was, and why those books were so important.

"Jack's real name is Lord Johnathon Devereaux the Third."

"A Devereaux?" Rommath interrupted sharply. When Braelyn nodded, he snorted with contempt. "Well that explains everything."

"You know the family?"

"I met a few Devereauxs back when the Sin'dorei were still part of the Alliance. They were very good friends with Garithos," Rommath explained.

"Oh," Braelyn said. "So... complete bastards, then?" Her husband nodded his head.

"They were not pleasant people," he said. "The thought of one their descendants touching you... " Rommath was too angry to continue, so Braelyn went on with her tale.

"Jack's mother, Rose-Alba, was a former employee of Mathias Shaw, and had managed to collect a wealth of information on Stormwind's foes _and _friends. It was information that people would do anything to get hold of - to stop wars, to _start_ wars, for blackmail.

"And she'd hidden it all within the contents of her library.

"Shaw said it was her way of protecting her family, but Nightwind thought that she'd been planning to sell the information to increase her family's fortune."

"No wonder Jack wanted it back," Rommath growled. "That kind of knowledge bestows an awful lot of power."

"He wasn't after the power," Braelyn said softly. "He just wanted the money." She smiled sadly when Rommath quirked his eyebrow at her.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"During my 'conversation' with SI: 7, Nightwind had revealed that the Deveaux family finances were in a poor state. Jack's parents passed away when he was nineteen, and since his only sibling had died in infancy, he'd inherited everything," Braelyn said. "He lived a very hedonistic lifestyle, squandering his inheritance. By the time he met me, just nine years after his parents' deaths, all that was left of the Devereaux fortune was the house in Stormwind, and three tracts of land in Westfall, Duskwood, and the Redridge Mountains."

"How the mighty have fallen," Rommath muttered.

"In order to keep his title, Jack needed to hold on to the house in Stormwind at least, but he lacked the money to maintain it. The land he still had was almost worthless, so he was forced to turn to his mother's collection.

"Unfortunately for him, thieves broke in and stole half the library before he'd managed to find a buyer. Then he found out they'd sold one of the books to a SI: 7 operative. He knew he had to act quickly if he was going to recover anything of value."

"And why did he approach you?" Rommath demanded, furious that Braelyn had been dragged into such a mess.

"He was being watched, as were his known associates," Braelyn explained. "He thought that SI: 7 would be distracted, or turn their attention elsewhere, if they thought he was busy with a new girlfriend, I guess.

"Meanwhile, he got an unwitting accomplice to help him recover the books _and _keep his bed warm."

"I really, really want to kill that man," Rommath stated.

"I know, honey. I know," Braelyn said, hugging him close. "Once SI: 7 realised that I was just a 'naive little girl' and not a criminal, they let me go, asking me to contact them if Jack approached me again."

"Did he?"

"Yes," Braelyn replied. "When Odariah and I got to Duskwood, there was a letter waiting for me at the inn. Jack said that he was sorry about what had happened, that he hadn't thought SI: 7 knew where the books were. He also said that he would have rescued me if SI: 7 hadn't believed in my innocence. I found it hard to believe him."

Rommath swore under his breath in Orcish. "That was nice of him," he snapped.

"I didn't reply," Braelyn said, twisting her fingers in Rommath's robes, "and I never saw him again."

"Good," her husband said firmly.

"It had a devastating effect on me, Rommath," Braelyn admitted quietly. "Not only was I heartbroken over being betrayed by the man I loved, but it took me a long time to regain my trust in people.

"I was horrible to Bitsie when we first met, only helping her because Odariah threatened to tell Mum and Dad about Jack if I didn't, and she is the only rogue I've ever been able to trust since him.

"I used to be as outgoing as my cousin, just as bright and bubbly, and I was more independent. After Jack, though, I was plagued by self-doubt, which caused me to rely on my friends more than I should have, simply because I feared the consequences of being left on my own.

"At the same time, however, I also became more stubborn and headstrong, not wanting to allow others to influence me, lest they hurt me like Jack did."

"You were always stubborn, dear heart," Rommath said, kissing her cheek. "You are your mother's daughter."

The Grand Magister was content to hold his wife for a few minutes in, letting her recover from the pain of her memories. Then he steeled himself to ask a question that he knew was bound to upset her.

"Braelyn," he said calmly, "why did the meeting in Stormwind unearth these memories?"

Braelyn tensed. She knew she needed to answer Rommath's question, but she also knew that it would reignite their argument.

"My love," she replied with hesitation, "what happened with Jack occured because I didn't have the information I needed. I didn't know what Jack was really like, and he hurt me, badly. I didn't know what he really wanted those books for and, as a result, I was trapped in a situation where I was forced to act blindly. People died, and I could have been one of them.

"And who knows how much damage was caused by the secrets that Jack managed to sell? Information he only managed to get hold of because _I _helped him?"

Rommath could see where his wife's thinking was taking her, and attempted to interrupt, but she spoke over the top of him.

"The same feeling of blindness, of ignorance, that I felt today in Stormkind Keep, was exactly how I felt in the Stockades after I found out about Jack. He said he loved me, yet he deliberately left me vulnerable in a dangerous situation."

"I am _nothing _like him," Rommath snarled. "I am not manipulating you for my own selfish ends!"

"I know!" Braelyn yelled.

"Then why are you so upset with me for doing my job?"

Braelyn tore herself out of Rommath's arms, stalking over to stand in front of his desk.

"Damn it, Braelyn, I'm just trying to keep us all as safe as I can!" Rommath shouted, leaping to his feet.

"You're not keeping me safe, Rommath! You're making things more dangerous!" she snapped. "How the hell do I know what to say, what to do, to outmaneuver Jaina if I don't have all the facts?"

"You just leave it to Lor'themar," Rommath replied. "He knows how to handle people like that witch."

"Screw Lor'themar!" Braelyn said. "Stop underestimating me and let me do _my _job! I can deal with feeling trapped being my people and you, but not the danger that comes from ignorance!

"Light, do you see how much you're disrespecting me in front of the Alliance by keeping me in the dark? What is the point of having an ambassador if she doesn't know what's going on?"

"It's not your job to protect Silvermoon! It's mine! And screw the Alliance!" Rommath retorted. "I don't care what those self-righteous fools think of you!"

"But I do!" Braelyn yelled back. "Which means you should too! Or do you think that my feelings aren't important?"

"I can't tell you what you think you have to know!" Rommath said, eyes blazing. "You know I can't. And you know it has nothing to do with me disrespecting you or not trusting you. Just accept that fact."

He moved forward slowly, and place his arms around Braelyn's waist. She tensed for a few seconds, then raised her hands to bury her fingers in his robes. "I know, Rommath, I know," she said in a shaky voice, "but I can't go back to Stormwind without hearing the full story."

"Then don't go back," Rommath replied, kissing her freckles. "Stay here, and let us handle things the way the Sin'dorei always have."

"If I do that, you know what will happen," Braelyn argued. "War w... "

"If it comes to war, then it will not be your fault, dear heart," Rommath said. "And if I must step onto the field of battle once more," he added softly, "I will do so knowing that you are safe behind the walls of my beloved city."

"I don't want you fighting, my love," Braelyn whispered. "What if you don't come home?"

"I will always come home to you," Rommath replied. "One way or another." He moved to the side, placing a kiss below his wife's ear before picking her up bridal style.

"But we have argued enough tonight," he said. "I think it's about time we made up."

Braelyn laughed, and wound her arms around Rommath's neck, nuzzling the side of his head as he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom.

But a few hours later, as her husband lay fast asleep, Braelyn slipped out of their house and across the street.

It was just after midnight when she knocked on Aethas Sunreaver's door.

* * *

><p><strong>AN -<strong> it's weird how quickly arguments can degenerate into irrational screaming. Normally, I tend to favour Braelyn's side of the fight, but in this case, I am more sympathetic towards Rommath. He really was in a no-win situation here. Personally, I would have said 'go ask Aethas if you really want to know.'

The full story of what happened with Jack will be told at a later date. The jerk is probably mates with Lethallan.

This is probably the chapter I least like, out of ALL of my stories. I think it's because it's so heavy on the dialogue. Plus, trying to explain everything and make sense, as the situation with Jack was a lot different to the current drama with Jaina Bitchmoore. Braelyn just doesn't see it that way.

Next chapter: Hunter Braelyn is going on a rogue hunt. And did you think the fight was over? No way!


	6. They meet every Thursday at 8

Since starting a relationship with Braelyn, Rommath was unable to sleep well without her by his side. Some would call that romantic. For Rommath, it was an inconvenience, especially since his wife had just accepted a job that involved a lot of travel.

When he woke up just after midnight to find himself alone in bed again, he was disgruntled at being awake so early, but also concerned for Braelyn. She had been so angry and upset the day before, and he knew that despite his best efforts to comfort her, she was still experiencing some emotional trauma.

"Braelyn?" he called, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He stood up, frowning when there was no response. Hoping that his wife was simply lost in her thoughts, he headed out onto their balcony. She said that the view of the city from their house was calming for her.

Rommath sighed when he saw that the balcony was empty. Perhaps she was in the library...

He was almost back in the bedroom when her heard a faint tapping sound, like someone knocking on wood. Thinking that Braelyn had gone for a walk and then locked herself out, Rommath headed down to the front door.

No one was there, but when Rommath opened the door, he could hear the sound coming from Sunreaver's house. He started to walk over to see who was seeking the mage so early in the morning.

"Aethas?" a very familiar voice asked. "Aethas!"

Rommath couldn't believe that Braelyn was doing this. He thought she had finally understood to leave the Sunreaver portal issue alone, to let him and Lor'themar deal with it, but now he found her sneaking around like a spy in the middle of the night.

He tried to calm himself down. While he and Braelyn were prone to arguing, he was never truly angry at _her_; his anger was more likely to be directed at the issues causing the arguments. This time, however, he _was _angry at his wife.

"What are you doing, _dear heart_?" he said in a deadly whisper. He watched as Braelyn jumped, and spun around to face him. Her blue eyes were full of fear and guilt, and Rommath's anger surged. She knew what she was doing was wrong.

"Rommath!" Braelyn squeaked. She looked as if she were about to reach for him, but the expression on his face must have scared her because she dropped her arms and took a step backwards. "I'm... I'm sorry, but I... "

"You just couldn't let it go, could you?" Rommath hissed viciously. Braelyn recoiled at his venomous tone. "Did it not occur to you that Lor'themar would've sworn Aethas to silence, too?"

"I, ah, yes," she confessed softly, her eyes pleading with him to calm down, but he ignored them. "I just thought that... "

"You'd ask anyway?" Rommath snapped, marching forward to grasp Braelyn's shoulders. He forced himself to disregard her obvious distress. "That you'd take advantage of his guilt?"

"No!" Braelyn said, tears forming in her eyes. He was surprised by her lack of anger. "How could you think that I would do something like that?"

"What am I supposed to think when I find you sneaking about like a thief?"

"I'm sorry, Rommath," she whispered, placing her hands on his chest. "I am. I just... I don't know how to act. That feels worse to me than being caught between the Alliance and you." She looked up at him, and one of the tears hanging precariously from the corner of her eye finally slid down her check.

Normally, seeing Braelyn so upset would cause Rommath to become protective, to want to make her smile again. Tonight... tonight he was unable to do so. He was tired of her stubbornness, even though he knew the reason for it was a good one, and he was tired of her apparent desire to make his life more difficult.

He was furious at himself for not trying to talk her into refusing the ambassador's job. He knew it was a bad idea, that it would only lead to trouble, but he hadn't wanted to crush her happiness, her enthusiasm. So he'd supported her decision, convincing himself that it would all work out as well as Braelyn thought it would.

"Why must you undermine my authority?" Rommath asked coldly. Braelyn looked confused, but he cut her off before she ask any questions. "Do you understand the trouble I will be in if people think that I disobeyed the Regent Lord's orders? That I told my wife, an Alliance employee, things that were meant for Sin'dorei ears only?"

Braelyn looked stunned, and it occurred to Rommath that she hadn't thought of it. That realisation made him even angrier. He twitched as his wife ran her arms up to his shoulders, attempting to pull him into an embrace.

"I'm sorry, Rommath," she said, placing a soft kiss at the base of his neck, but it did not placate him. "I... tell me how to make this up to you."

"It's quite simple, Braelyn," Rommath said, his voice full of cold certainty. "Make a choice; Alliance ambassador to Silvermoon, or my wife. You can no longer be both."

Braelyn gasped and stepped back as if struck. "You.. you can't mean that!" she cried.

"I do," he said. "I will give you the rest of the night to think about it. I suggest you go to Lorelai's to sleep." With a final, unsympathetic glare at his wife, Rommath turned on his heel and stalked back to his house.

* * *

><p>Braelyn was in shock. <em>Did that... did that even happen? <em> she thought, hand coming up to her chest. She pinched herself, gasping as the sharp flicker of pain confirmed she wasn't stuck in some horrible dream.

Three weeks... married for three weeks and the union was already on the brink of collapse. She sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. She would have been angry, part of her thought that she _should_ be, but the only thing she felt was guilt. It overwhelmed everything else, and caused her stomach to clench in tight knots.

She hadn't thought about how her actions affected Rommath. Not once.

Braelyn wanted to go home, kick the door down, and tell Rommath that she would always choose him, but it wasn't that easy.

It was never that easy. Not for them.

Not only would Rommath probably be mad that she didn't follow his instructions, but Braelyn was not sure if what she _wanted_ to do was what she _could_ do. Abandon her job in the middle of a diplomatic crisis? Walk up to King Varian and tell him "peace out, homie, I'm gone"?*

Then there was the small matter if her pride. If she quit, she could only imagine the things that Jaina Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner would say. She could handle beeing called a traitor, that insult had lost its impact years ago, but she couldn't bear to think of being called a coward, or a disappointment, especially to her parents.

Braelyn started as the town clock struck 1 a.m. She thought about her options; Lorelai wasn't in Silvermoon, she'd gone to the Undercity to meet up with some old friends. She could go to Boxer's, but his wife hated her, and she didn't need to deal with an aggravated goblin woman on top of an irate husband.

With a sigh, Braelyn dragged herself off to the Wayfarer's Rest Inn. With any luck, Jovia would have a spare room for her and the kindness not to spread Braelyn's marital problems around the city.

* * *

><p>As soon as she stepped into the Inn, Braelyn knew there was no chance of a bed for the night. She wasn't even sure she'd get a seat. The bar was crowded with Horde adventurers, which was surprising since they tended to congregate in Orgrimmar.<p>

She was just about to give up and head for Boxer's house when a cold arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Hey, Sweetheart," a familiar and very unwelcome voice crooned. "It's good to see you again."

Braelyn glared at the death knight who was grinning at her. "Get away from me, Lethallan," she growled, attempting to remove herself from his grasp. He just kept smiling and dragged her over to his table, forcing her into a seat. She swore in Common as she recognised the people sitting next to her.

Tal'lin and Denaria Daybreak.

"How is this even possible?" she whispered, horrified. "Is this some sort of I Hate Braelyn Club meeting?"

"Nah, we don't be hatin' ya, little miss," Tal'lin said, a wicked grin on his face. "Quite da opposite, in fact." Braelyn slapped his hand away as he attempted to run it up her leg.

"I'm married!" she snapped, waving her wedding ring in his face.

"Don' mean nuttin' to ol' Tal'lin," the troll said, leering at her. With a huff of frustration, she got up to leave, but Lethallan forced her back in the chair.

"Sweetheart, don't mind him," the death knight said with a chuckle. "Just sit and have a drink."

"I'm not drinking with you lot," Braelyn said. "The troll is lecherous, that bitch tried to steal my husband, and you murdered my friend."

"It was nothing personal, dear," Denaria smirked. "I just thought he deserved better than you."

Braelyn swore at the warlock in every language she knew, causing her companions to laugh.

"Well, your friend did kill one of my friends," Lethallan said in his defence. "Grezzik was a perfectly nice goblin. You don't see me being mean to you because that gnome shanked him."

"You don't have friends," Braelyn snapped at him.

"Now, dat don' be a very diplomatic answer, girly," Tal'lin said with a grin. "Me and Lethallan be friends. Denaria, too."

"How are you even alive?" Braelyn demanded. "I'm pretty sure I saw a guy kill you in Goldshire."

Tal'lin laughed, running a hand through his teal mohawk. "I be a troll, mon," he said, as if that explained everything. "Now, why don' cha put dem peacemakin' skills to use an' have a drink wit' us." He reached over and poured a shot of tequila into a glass, and pushed it towards her.

Braelyn glared at it. No way was she touching that tiny glass of liquid demon spawn.

"Where is that husband of yours, Sweetheart?" Lethallan asked, downing his own drink in one gulp. "I'm surprised he isn't with you. I know I wouldn't want my pretty, young wife hanging out in bars without me."

As soon as the death knight mentioned Rommath, Braelyn picked up her drink and chugged it down. She gestured for another and threw that one back, too.

"Trouble in paradise?" Denaria asked with a malicious smile. The warlock looked surprised as Braelyn burst into tears. "Oh, my," she added. "I was just being catty, but I seemed to have struck a nerve."

"It's nothing," Braelyn sobbed. "None of your business."

Tal'lin reached over and patted her on the head. "Now, now, girly," he said, "tell ol' Tal'lin all 'bout it." He poured her another shot of tequila, pressing it into her hands.

Braelyn looked t him warily. "I can't tell you," she said. He raised an eyebrow at her tone.

"Well, den, jus' drink wit' us and forget your troubles," he said. "We be good company."

Against her better judgement, Braelyn raised her glass to her lips. She looked at her companions warily. "You are not to hex me," she said to Denaria. Her gaze turned to Lethallan. "And you are not to drag me off anywhere." Finally, she stared at Tal'lin. "You keep your hands to yourself."

Her companions all agreed to her terms with laughter in their voices, and cheered when she swallowed her third shot. As she called for Jovia to bring over some rum, she chided herself for the trouble she knew was coming.

* * *

><p>"At least it's not Braelyn this time," Halduron said, in what he thought was a comforting manner. He stared at the blood elf death knight and troll who were dancing naked on the table in front of a considerably large crowd that included the Grand Magister's wife.<p>

The ranger general turned to look at Rommath, surprised to see that the mage was not angry, but sad. His friend's eyes twitched as he heard Braelyn let out a loud wolf whistle.

"This is my fault," Rommath said, regret colouring his voice. "As soon as I issued that ultimatum, I wanted to take back my words," he added, "but my stupid pride wouldn't let me."

"You want me to grab her?"

"No," Rommath said firmly. "I will speak to my wife, if she'll let me. You just keep an eye on that troll." He walked forward, and the crowd not only parted, but began to scatter when they recognised who he was.

Denaria saw Rommath first, raising her glass in a mocking salute. The magister ignored her, planting himself in front of his wife. Braelyn raised her bloodshot eyes to meet his. She didn't seem surprised to see him.

"Oh, bugger," she swore softly. "I'm not drunk enough for this."

"Ya don' have ta listen ta him, girly," Tal'lin said without stopping his drunken gyrations.

"Avert your gaze from _my _wife, troll," Rommath said, feeling the troll hunter's gaze upon them, "before I see fit to pluck your eyes from your head." He looked down at Braelyn and added softly, "Assuming you still want to be my wife?"

Braelyn blinked, as if shocked by Rommath's words. Perhaps she was simply too inebriated to understand what he'd said, or maybe she was surprised he wasn't yelling and setting things on fire.

"Of course I do," she said, her lower lip trembling. "I'm going to regret this when I wake up, aren't I?"

"I hope so," Rommath replied, then offered Braelyn his arm. Before she accepted it, she looked him in the eye.

"Do you still want me as your wife?" she asked.

"More than you could ever know," he said. She gave a drunken grin.

"Denaria, enjoy the rest of the show," Braelyn giggled. "And come over for dinner sometime. You need to meet your namesake." The warlock shot her a rude hand gesture. She grabbed Rommath's arm, but couldn't lift herself out of her chair. With a small sigh, he bent down and picked her up, nose wrinkling in disgust as he smelt the alcohol on her.

_She must have drunk half the bar! _he thought as he carried his wife home. She was going to have one mighty hangover when she woke up.

"Rommath," Braelyn asked, half-asleep already, "do you think you could dance for me like that?"

"Absolutely not," Rommath replied. "No amount of alcohol could get me that drunk."

"Challenge accepted... "**

* * *

><p>The hangover was worse than being smashed by an abomination. If it wasn't for Rommath's soft fingers tracing circles on her bare stomach, Braelyn was sure she would have died.<p>

"fbjdsnslwkmdk;c," she groaned as she became fully conscious. She felt Rommath press his lips to her forehead before he slipped out of bed. A few minutes later he reappeared by her side of the bed and put a small vial against her lips.

"Drink this, dear heart," he said quietly. "You'll feel better, I promise." His hands stroked her hair as she swallowed the potion in one gulp. It worked quickly, and she was soon able to open her eyes.

Braelyn watched Rommath as he continued to touch her. She reached up and took one hand his hands in hers, pressing a kiss to his palm. While he looked calm, and happy to see her, the air was still heavy with unsaid things.

"Go and take bath," he said. "Auriel has prepared a late breakfast for you. I will be in the library waiting for you." He bent down and claimed her lips in a tender kiss before leaving Braelyn to her thoughts.

She did not find the bath as relaxing as she would have normally, and she couldn't bear the thought of eating until she had resolved things with Rommath. So she washed herself quickly, throwing on a simple blue linen dress before heading to the library.

Braelyn paused beside the half-open library door when she heard voices coming from within.

"You are an idiot," she heard Boxer say, surprised by how clearly the goblin spoke. "After all tha sacrifices Braelyn made ta be with ya, you're tha one issuin' ultimatums?"

"I know, Boxer, I know," Rommath sighed, and Braelyn hated how tired he sounded.

"Do ya?" Boxer retorted. "Ya may think ya do, but I don't think ya really understand it all. If ya did, her stubbornness would make more sense ta ya. She's feelin' vulnerable, Rommath, that's half the reason she act's the way she does."

"I will speak to her about this."

"And ya will tell her tha truth 'bout what Aethas said."

"I cannot do that, Boxer," Rommath said, his voice firm. "I know Braelyn accepts that now."

"She needs ta know," the goblin insisted, and Braelyn swore there was something wrong with him. He sounded like he always did, but there was something very compelling about his voice, as if her were attempting to sway Rommath.

Braelyn shook her head. She was being silly; obviously she was still fatigued from last night.

"All right, if you think I should tell her, then I will," Rommath said, and Braelyn gasped. Without thinking, she walked through the door, gaining the two men's attention.

"Hey, toots!" Boxer said cheerfully. "I hear ya went drinking without me again."

"Sorry about that," Braelyn said, her gaze never leaving her husband's face, "but I don't think you would have enjoyed the show this time." Boxer laughed, then hopped down from his chair.

"I'll just leave you two alone," he said as he walked out. "Remember what I said, mage."

As soon as Boxer left, Braelyn slammed the door shut. She then ran over and climber onto Rommath's lap, kissing him with a passion she didn't know she had. His hands gripped her hips tightly, holding her close to him.

When she had convinced herself that things were indeed fine between them, she nestled her head on his shoulder. "I will quit if you want me to," she said softly. "I did tell Varian I wouldn't compromise my marriage for him."

Rommath grasped her chin and tilted it so she was looking in his eyes. "No," he said. "Keep the job. It's important, not just for you, but for Azeroth as well. We need people like you in such positions, dear heart. You know what's really important."

"Are you really sure?" Braelyn asked, and Rommath answered her with a kiss. She smiled. "I love you."

"And I love you," he said. "I am sorry for I said, for trying to force you into making such a choice. I do not deserve you." He laid his head on hers, and Braelyn sighed.

"Perhaps we should hire a marriage counsellor," she suggested. "They can stay in one of the guest rooms."

Rommath chuckled. "Just as long as it isn't a male troll." Braelyn giggled.

They spent a few minutes cuddling together on the couch, then Rommath broke the silence. "I have something to tell you, dear heart," he said, and Braelyn knew what he was going to say.

"It's okay, Rommath," she said, "you don't need to tell me."

"Yes, I do," he replied, caressing her stomach. "You were right about Aethas saying more about the portal... "

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>*Braelyn would never, ever say 'peace out, homie'.

** No, Feff and Bohmz, it's not happening.

With the Inn scene, I basically thought what would be the worst thing to happen to Braelyn at the end of such a day? Who wouldn't she want to run into? I couldn't decide between Lethallan, Denaria, and Tal'lin so went with all three.

Next chapter: no more arguments. Rommath has told Braelyn about Aethas' full confession, and she discovers a way to save Aethas and get one up on Jaina. But will it work?


	7. The Plan

"Jaina's gone completely mad," Braelyn said as Rommath finished relating Aethas' full confession. "How could she still want to punish Aethas after hearing about what really happened?"

She frowned in concentration as she raised her cup of tea to her lips. Hearing the whole story had enabled her to start formulating a plan to help keep the peace, but the situation was still complicated and confusing.

Rommath swallowed a strawberry and shrugged. "I have two theories about what's going on," he said. "Firstly, there is a chance that the spy she hired only heard the first part of Aethas' statement.

"Secondly, Jaina Proudmoore has spent most of the past two and a half years seeking 'justice'. Her grief and rage have twisted her. I have never particularly liked her, but even I recognise that before the Purge of Dalaran she was unlikely to have ever behaved the way she is now. After spending so much time and energy pursuing Aethas, I don't think her pride will allow her to admit her mistake."

"Perhaps if she didn't have Vereesa Windrunner urging her on all the time... " Braelyn said wistfully, thinking of how the old Jaina Proudmoore would have loved the current peace.

"I find it hard to condemn Vereesa for her attitude," Rommath confessed, reaching out to caress Braelyn's face. "I would act the same as her if I lost you the way she lost her husband."

"Don't, Rommath," Braelyn warned. "I would never want you to become so bitter. Andorien once told me not to dwell on the bad things, but to celebrate the good. I would have you do the same." She ran her hand over the red runic tattoos on his arm, before squeezing his hand.

"I'm glad that I decided to tell you," Rommath said to her, "although I can't see how the information can be of any use to you. Jaina will never believe the truth, and will simply try to find a way to discredit it. I also fear that if we hand Aethas over to the Kirin Tor, it will only make the situation worse. My people will never accept that Jaina could act fairly in this matter."

"Do not be so quick to despair," Braelyn said. "I have an idea."

Rommath looked curious. "Is it something you can share?" he asked.

"I think it best that I don't reveal the details, but I can tell you that I'm going to have to make a quick visit to Ironforge and the Exodar," she replied.

"Why Ironforge and Exodar?"

"During my meeting with the Alliance Council, Prophet Velen indicated that he looked favourably on anything that promoted forgiveness and peace, and Moira Thaurissan was very supportive of me on a personal level. I want to share my thoughts with them. If they agree with my line of thinking, then I may have a way to save Aethas and the peace."

She looked at Rommath as he hummed thoughtfully. "So the Sin'dorei are not without friends among the people of the Alliance."

Braelyn grinned. "I think you and Princess Moria would like each other," she said, laughing briefly before a solemn look stole across her face. "I need you to do a few things for me, though, my love."

"Of course," Rommath replied, squeezing her hand firmly.

"For starters, you're going to have to trust me," Braelyn said. "If my plan works, it may look as if things are going to go badly for Aethas."

"You know I trust you."

"Good. Then know that whatever happens, happens for the best."

"What else can I do?" Rommath asked. He was starting to worry, if things looked bad, they could very easily _turn_ bad.

"I need you to convince Aethas and the rest of the Sunreavers to trust me as well. I think that Lor'themar and Halduron are smart enough to be able to pick up on what I'm trying to do, but a few words from you might help," Braelyn replied, before a small frown marred her face. "I think I'll end up having to stay in Stormwind for a while."

"Will you be in danger?" Rommath demanded, kneeling by her side. He took both her hands in his and held them tightly.

"I don't think so," she said, "but I don't know how Jaina is going to react. It will be easier for me to control the situation if I remain close to the King. It will be difficult for her to try to influence King Varian if I'm there also." She paused for a few seconds. "And if things _do _get dangerous, it will probably be the safest place to be. My parents have moved into the city as well, so I won't have to worry about them, and Odariah and the baby moved to Darnassus with Andorien. They should be okay there."

"I'm very uneasy about this, Braelyn," Rommath said. "If there is any chance that your life is at risk, I want you here in Silvermoon."

"Rommath, I don't think things will turn nasty," Braelyn said, attempting to soothe him. "I'm just trying to plan for any eventuality."

"Very well," her husband said, "but promise me one thing; if you do feel threatened, I want you to either come home or head for the nearest neutral city. Send for me, and I'll come for you, or send someone to escort you to me."

"Deal," Braelyn said with a smile. She leaned down and kissed her husband. "But I best hurry. I'll need to speak to Boxer and the Horde ambassadors before I leave. They'll need as much of a warning as I can give them." She chuckled softly. "At least I have access to plenty of mages. King Varian wants me to report in a few days, and I'd never get to Ironforge and Exodar in time without portals."

* * *

><p>Four days later Braelyn walked through a portal into the Mage's Quarter of Stormwind. Bitey prowled restlessly at her heels, picking up on his master's anxiety. It was late in the afternoon, and she knew that she was pushing the King's patience to its limits. She walked as quickly as she could, mindful of the fact that an ambassador seen running for the Keep might start a rush of panicked rumours.<p>

The meeting with Boxer and his colleagues had been more productive than she thought. While she and the Horde ambassadors to Silvermoon would never be best friends, they were polite and willing to listen to her. Braelyn could tell they were suspicious of what her plan would actually involve, but also seemed to appreciate her warning them as best she could. With Boxer's encouragement, she convinced them to talk their leaders, to prepare them for a possible diplomatic storm.

Moira Thaurissan and Prophet Velen had given their support to her, but had both warned to be on guard for Jaina's reaction. They were worried that the Kirin Tor leader would react violently once she figured out what Braelyn was planning. They thought it possible that Lady Proudmoore's anger would drive her to act independently of the Alliance.

Braelyn took their concerns seriously, but doubted that Jaina would go so far as to separate from the Alliance. She needed King Varian's support too much, if only for her own survival. Without it, Dalaran would be as vulnerable as Theramore had been.

"Wait here, Bitey," Braelyn said as she reached the steps leading into Stormwind Keep. The lynx growled in disappointment. "I won't be long."

She handed her weapons over to the guards, before hurrying into the throne room. The King was in conversation with a group of Kul Tiras noblemen, so Braelyn sat down on a bench to wait, waving off Varian's advisor as she did so.

She studied the King's guards. Not one of them was the man who had aided and annoyed Braelyn two years ago. She had never seen him again after that night in the Ghostlands, when he'd told her that her future lay in Silvermoon. She hoped that he wasn't dead. She and Rommath owed him a lot.

After a short wait, King Varian called for Braelyn to follow him to his office. Genn Greymane was already there, and he guided Braelyn into the seat in front of Varian's desk.

"I don't appreciate being kept waiting, Ambassador," King Varian said as he sat in front of her. He did not sound happy.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Braelyn said, "but I needed to speak with Prophet Velen and Princess Moira."

The King raised an eyebrow. "What happened, and why would you choose to speak to them when you should have come straight to me?"

"Lady Proudmoore's spy only heard half the story," Braelyn replied, getting right to the point. "The blood elves were reluctant for me to hear the whole confession, but I managed to persuade Rommath to tell me."

Varian smirked at her, and Braelyn blushed a vibrant shade of cherry red when she realised how poorly she'd phrased her last statement.

"And what did your lucky husband have to tell you?" the king asked slyly.

"He, ah, he... " Braelyn stammered before taking a deep breath. "Well, Lady Proudmoore is right about Aethas knowing about the portal..." she added, pausing when both monarchs starting swearing.

"I was hoping she was wrong, that her blasted spy was just telling her what she wanted to hear," Varian growled. "This is going to ruin everything we've achieved in the past two years!"

"Not necessarily, your highness," Braelyn interrupted. The King glared at her. "What we weren't told, however, was that Aethas didn't find out about the portal until after the theft had taken place. When he did find out, he attempted to take action against those responsible, but was threatened by one of General Nazgrim's men. He was forced to choose between keeping silent, or telling Lady Proudmoore and having the blood elves in Pandaria slaughtered by Hellscream."

King Genn gasped. "Why would Jaina keep this information to herself?" he asked. "It doesn't make sense!"

"I don't know," Varian replied, sounding troubled. He looked at Braelyn. "I'm hoping it is simply because Jaina herself was misinformed or mislead, and not because she was hiding the truth. What was the Sin'dorei response to Jaina's demand?"

"They won't hand Aethas over to her," Braelyn said, "although I'm sure that is no surprise to any of us. They do not believe that Lady Proudmoore will treat Aethas with fairness, especially since she is either misinformed, or deliberately concealing important information."

"I cannot say that I blame them for that," King Varian said with a frustrated sigh. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Jaina is single-minded and deaf to reason when it comes to the Sunreavers."

"How can we deal with this?" King Genn asked Varian. "Jaina will demand action, unless we can prove this spy of hers was lying?"

"I have an idea, my lords, although there is no guaranteeing that it will work," Braelyn said, her stomach churning with anxiety.

King Varian looked at her with shrewd eyes. "Is that why you needed to speak with Velen and Moira?"

"Yes, your highness," Braelyn replied. "I wanted to make sure that it was a sound plan before I suggested it to you, and that it would be supported by the Council."

"Don't keep us in suspense then, Ambassador," Varian demanded. "How can we stifle Jaina's war cry?"

"I think we should suggest to the Regent Lord that Aethas stand trial, although I've never understood exactly what Lady Proudmoore planned to charge him with."

"Treason against the Kirin Tor, and violating Darnassus' sovereign territory I believe," King Genn said, shocked. "Although, I think that lately she's been wanting to charge him with war crimes over the deaths stemming from the theft of the Divine Bell, and with the murder of Kirin Tor civilians during the Purge."

"I don't see how your plan helps, Ambassador," King Varian growled impatiently, "considering that a trial is what Jaina's been after for years.'

"I'm not talking about a trial held in Dalaran," Braelyn said, "or anywhere else in Alliance territory, either."

Genn Greymane looked confused, but Varian stared at her shrewdly. Braelyn could tell that the King understood what she was suggesting. "You're suggesting a trial moderated by a third-party?" he asked. "Held on neutral ground?"

"Yes," Braelyn replied. "I think that the trial should be held in Pandaria, and should be adjudicated by the Shado-Pan."

"Clever girl," Genn said with approval. "Lord Zhu is respected by both the Horde and the Alliance as a fair and just man."

"Not to mention that Jaina will find it hard to justify refusing such a suggestion," Varian added, a small smile gracing his lips. "After all, the Horde consented to Garrosh being judged by the Pandaren."

King Varian paused for a moment, stroking his strong chin. "Will the blood elves, and the rest of the Horde come to think of it, support this idea? As unlikely as it seems, the Pandaren could find Aethas guilty."

"I think they will," Braelyn said, then looked a bit sheepish. "I, ah, took the liberty of dropping few hints before I left Silvermoon."

"I see," the King replied. "In that case, I will summon the Council back to Stormwind." He leaned back in his seat. "I hope this works, Ambassador."

"As do I, your majesty," Braelyn said. "As do I."

* * *

><p>Braelyn struggled to conceal a smirk as she watched Lady Proudmoore have a complete meltdown in front of the Alliance Council. The mage had spent the past half an hour trying to convince Varian to change his mind about Braelyn's plan. Unfortunately for her, the King had foreseen most of what Jaina's objections would be, and had found a way to work around all of them.<p>

Lady Proudmoore was one step away from stomping her foot in anger like a spoilt child when Vereesa, all too aware that she and Jaina were outnumbered, intervened. She placed a hand on the human mage's shoulder and guided her back to her seat, muttering something under her breath. Jaina mumbled something in reply before sitting down, glaring at Moira Thaurissan.

"Forgive me, your highness," Vereesa said in cold voice, "but I must express my disappointment in the decision you have made today."

"Why would you be disappointed, Lady Windrunner?" Varian asked. "I thought you wanted Aethas Sunreaver brought to trial."

"I do," the high elf replied, "but I'm concerned how this will affect our relationship with the Pandaren. They already had to take responsibility for Garrosh Hellscream, and now we ask them to deal with Sunreaver. How weak and ineffectual we must look to them, and to our enemies! Surely it would be more beneficial for the Alliance to prove that we are capable of dealing with our own problems?"

"The Shado-Pan are always willing to help their allies," a male voice said from the doorway. Braelyn grinned as she saw a group of Pandaren make their way into the room, bowing before the king. "We are honoured that you trust us with such important matters... and as for us perceiving you as weak, you have no reason to ever think that. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help; it shows great strength and wisdom."

"Welcome, Lord Zhu," King Varian said, bowing to the leader of the Shado-Pan. "I'm honoured to welcome you to Stormwind."

"As we are honoured to be here," Lord Zhu replied. "Now tell me, what is it you would ask of the Shado-Pan?"

* * *

><p>Braelyn was overjoyed to be back in Silvermoon, even though she'd been gone less than a week. She wanted to go home, take a bath, eat her own weight in cake, and then snuggle on the couch with Rommath and a good book.<p>

But duty came first.

She walked into Sunfury Spire, wishing that King Varian could have contacted Lor'themar himself. When she'd suggested that to him, he'd grinned and said that one of the benefits of being King was the right to delegate unpleasant tasks to his subordinates. Braelyn had no response to that.

Whenever she entered the Spire, Braelyn's eyes always sought out her husband before anyone else. Rommath looked relieved to see her, alerting Lor'themar and Halduron to her arrival. He then stepped forward, reaching for her hand.

"I'm glad you returned to Silvermoon safely, Ambassador," he said softly, always careful to act discretely in front of his colleagues.

"You might not feel that way in five minutes, Grand Magister," Braelyn replied, giving Rommath's hand a gentle squeeze as she smiled at Lor'themar and the Ranger General in greeting.

"That doesn't sound ominous at all," Halduron grinned, patting Bitey on the head.

"Indeed," Lor'themar said. "What is this grand plan of yours, Ambassador Hawke?"

"Well, Regent Lord," Braelyn began, "it starts with me arresting Aethas..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>Braelyn Hawke always gets her man. I managed to spell Varian and 'ambassador' wrong every single time in this chapter. I r teh smrt.

Next chapter: it's off to Pandaria for the Warcraft version of the celebrity trial of the century.


	8. Turning Tables

If Braelyn experienced a silence as intense as this while out in the forest, she'd assume she was about to be attacked by a wild beast or a rogue. As it was, she was standing in Sunfury Spire watching as Lor'themar Theron and his closest advisors processed what she'd just told them.

Though, by the way Lor'themar's eye was twitching, the ambassador couldn't rule out being attacked anyway.

She was beginning to think she'd rendered the three men before her mute with shock when the Regent Lord coughed and gave Braelyn a sharp look.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that I would not allow Aethas to be handed over to Lady Proudmoore!" he said, looking unimpressed. "And, yet, here you are wanting me to do just that."

"Braelyn..." Rommath said, and she could tell she was pushing her husband's trust in her to its limits.

"I don't recall saying anything about handing Aethas over to Proudmoore," Braelyn said with a smirk. She was enjoying tormenting the blood elf men with the suspense, though she knew that she shouldn't be. Rommath would make her pay for it later.

"Then what are you... " Lor'themar said, pausing as a look of realisation came over him. "A trial on neutral ground?" he asked.

"Yes," Braelyn replied. "The trial will be adjudicated by the Shado-Pan at the Celestial Court. It was the only way I could think of to outmaneuver Lady Proudmoore, placate the Council, and make sure Aethas is treated fairly."

"But you still need to arrest him?" Halduron asked. He was frowning, clearly not impressed with the idea of his friend being in Alliance custody.

"King Varian said that if you give your word to make sure Aethas turns up at the trial, he will allow him to remain in Silvermoon until then," Braelyn said. "I won't lie to you, though, he would prefer that I take Aethas back to Stormwind with me."

"Why?" Rommath demanded.

"Jaina was none too happy with my plan," Braelyn said. "Varian thinks that she might try and get to Aethas before he reaches Pandaria. She'll be less likely to do so if he is in Varian's care. Or it will be more difficult for her, at any rate."

"We can take care of our own!" Rommath declared, nostrils flaring.

"I know that," Braelyn replied calmly, "but an attack on you by the Kirin Tor could quickly escalate into the all-out war we're trying to avoid. Just, please, think about it."

"Do I not have a say in this?" a fourth voice asked from behind them. Braelyn turned to see Aethas walking over to them. He looked haggard, as if he hadn't been eating properly or sleeping well, and his hair and clothing were in disarray.

"Aethas!" Braelyn said, unable to hide her shock. She took his hand. "You do not look well."

"I am not," he replied, "but do not let it trouble you, Braelyn. Once the matter of the Divine Bell is settled, I'm sure everything will go back to normal."

"Will you finally believe in your own innocence if the Pandaren find in your favour?" Rommath asked.

"Which they will!" Braelyn and Halduron said in unison.

"Oh, yes," Aethas said. "It is the opinion of others that weighs me down. I know that Jaina will forever think me guilty, and I am resigned to that fact, but I know that most among the Alliance will believe in the good judgement of the Panadaren. That is enough for me."

"In this regard I wish you were more like Rommath," Braelyn said. "He doesn't care what other people think of him."

"I care about what you think," Rommath retorted, causing Halduron to make an 'awwww' sound.

"I think one Rommath is more than enough," Aethas said with a small smile, causing Braelyn to giggle.

"All right, that's enough," Lor'themar said, wearily. "It's late and I'm sure we could all use some sleep. Aethas, I'll leave the choice up to you; leave with Braelyn, or travel to Panadria with us."

"I will remain in Silvermoon until the trial, my Lord," Aethas said. "I appreciate King Varian's concerns, Braelyn, but I will not leave my people now."

"As you wish," she replied, "but be careful when leaving Quel'Thalas. Jaina and Vereesa mean business."

"Are you returning to Stormwind tonight, Ambassador?" Lor'themar asked.

Braelyn shook her head. "I will leave in the morning." She smiled at the pleased look that flashed in Rommath's eyes.

"Very well," the Regent Lord said. "If I do not see you before you depart, then I bid you farewell. I hope this plan of yours works."

"As do we all, Regent Lord," Braelyn replied with a bow.

It was a relief when the others departed, leaving Braelyn alone with Rommath at last. She sighed when she felt her husband slide his arm around her waist. "Come, dear heart," he said, softly, "let's go home. You look dead on your feet."

"I feel like it, too," Braelyn sighed, and lay her head on Rommath's shoulder as they walked out into the night.

* * *

><p>The Celestial Court on Pandaria's Timeless Isle had undergone a rapid transformation in order to host the trial of Aethas Sunreaver. The main square, normally reserved for the Celestials to test the mettle of various heroes, was now covered by an enormous canopy. Beneath the white canvas, row upon row of seating was laid out in front of several long wooden tables. The Celestials themselves now stood alongside the Emperor, watching as dignitaries from the Horde and Alliance began to arrive.<p>

The atmosphere was tense. So tense that Braelyn wished she could leave, or at least go sit with her husband, but King Varian was adamant; as the trial was her idea, she had to attend it every day for as long as it lasted. Obviously, as an Alliance representative, she was prohibited from sitting with the blood elves.

She'd tried convincing the King that as the ambassador to Silvermoon she should be with the blood elves to gauge their reactions, but Varian was not a stupid man.

Unfortunately for her.

The crowd was well-behaved, due mostly to the heavy Shado-Pan presence. A few insults were traded back and forth, mainly between goblins and gnomes, and humans and orcs, but nothing too serious. It seemed to Braelyn that people were acting mainly out of habit.

A sudden hush announced the arrival of Lady Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner. They walked through the portal connecting Dalaran to Timeless with their heads high, fire in their eyes, and a small army of Kirin Tor and SIlver Covenant soldiers behind them.

Lady Proudmoore ignored the assembled crowd, stopping only to curtsy to King Varian. Her eyes met Braelyn's for a moment, and the ambassador swore she could feel her insides freezing. The mage and her high elf companion then took their place at one of the wooden tables, directly in front of where Braelyn was sitting beside the two human kings, and Moira Thaurissan.

The Kirin Tor's case was being presented by a human that Braelyn didn't recognise. She was surprised that Jaina was not prosecuting the case herself. The man looked calm on the surface, but the tapping of his fingers on the tabletop suggested an internal nervousness.

_If the word of a single spy and Jaina's conspiracy theories are all he has to go on, I can understand his anxiety, _Braelyn thought as she searched the Horde side of the crowd for her husband. She found Rommath seated towards the front, alongside a group of Halduron's Farstriders. As he was a witness, he was unable to sit with Aethas or the Sunreavers, something she knew angered him.

Their eyes met and Braelyn did her best to convey all of her strength and love for him through her gaze. Rommath placed his hand across his heart and bowed to her. Her husband was not comfortable being affectionate around people he did not consider his friends, and she also knew that he didn't like to draw the attention of the Alliance to their relationship because he was still afraid that she'd be arrested for treason at any second, so the gesture made Braelyn teary eyed.

"Aye, yer a lucky one, lass," Moira Thaurissan said with a smirk. "Yer husband is a very attractive man."

"That he is," Braelyn said with a slight blush, "and I love him more than I can say."

The Dwarven princess laughed and patted Braelyn on the back. "Now that's obvious ta anyone with a pair o' functioning eyes! I'd love ta meet him, if ya can arrange it, lass."

"I'm sure I can manage that," Braelyn replied, before the conversation was cut short by Aethas Sunreaver's arrival.

Once again, silence descended upon the Court. Aethas looked a lot healthier this morning, so Braelyn was certain that Lorelai had forced him into sleeping and eating. Her priest friend had been spending a lot of time with the Archmage lately. So much time, in fact, that Braelyn was sure that once Aethas was found not guilty and could concentrate on something other than survival, another wedding would soon be on the horizon.

Aethas was flanked by Lor'themar and Halduron, and all three blood elf men were standing tall and radiating authority and calm confidence. They made an imposing sight as they strode towards their own table, the Regent Lord stopping to greet his fellows, while Halduron flirted shamelessly with nearby women. Aethas' eyes drifted over to where Lorelai sat directly behind Rommath.

Aethas was being represented by Lor'themar, and Braelyn knew that Rommath would be testifying. Besides that, she had no idea how about how the Sin'dorei case would be presented. She hoped that it would be enough to convince the Shado-Pan of Aethas' innocence. If they decided that the evidence wasn't strong enough to support either a not-guilty _or _a guilty verdict, then poor Aethas would be in the same position he was in yesterday.

And if the archmage was found guilty? Braelyn couldn't bear to think about it.

"If I could have your attention, please," Taran Zhu shouted. "Thank you. Honoured people of the Horde and Alliance, you have come here today to seek judgement on the actions of Archmage Aethas Sunreaver of Quel'Thalas. I will be adjudicating the trial, and our most revered Celestials will serve as the jury."

A soft hum reverberated through the crowd. No doubt people were remembering the last time Lord Zhu had uttered those words. Braelyn had not witnessed the trial of Garrosh Hellscream, but the result had become something of legend. Garrosh disappearing into the past with the help of the Infinite Dragonflight and Wrathion in order to do gods-know-what.

Braelyn firmly believed that most of the success of the current truce lay in the fact that everybody was busy preparing for Garrosh's possible return. No one would be spared the former Warchief's wrath, and people were finally learning that working together, or at least not working _against _each other, was the best way of surviving the onslaught.

_Light, I hope nothing like that happens today._

"Before we start I must ask if Lady Proudmoore of the Kirin Tor, and Regent Lord Theron of Quel'Thalas will accept the Celestials' judgement regardless of what it may be?"

"I will," Jaina and Lor'themar said in unison.

"Then we may proceed," Lord Zhu intoned. "Lady Proudmoore, as the accuser, your representative may speak first."

Braelyn took a deep breath as the human man got up to address the four Celestials and Lord Zhu. So much depended on the trial finding in Aethas' favour. As a sudden bout of nausea gripped her stomach, Braelyn wished for Rommath's steady presence more than ever.

She was very surprised when she felt King Varian take her hand and give it a friendly squeeze. "Don't worry, Braelyn," Varian murmured, "it will all be over soon. Have faith."

Braelyn could only nod her head.

* * *

><p>The Kirin Tor case had been long on rhetoric, but short on substance. It had involved Dalaran's representative repeating word for word just about every rant Jaina Proudmoore had ever made about Aethas, a boderline hysterical account of Dalaran's sense of betrayal over the theft, and the testimony of the blood elf rogue hired to spy on Braelyn's wedding.<p>

Braelyn didn't understand how a woman of Lady Proudmoore's intelligence could have thought such a case would withstand serious scrutiny. She could tell by King's Varian scowl that he was underwhelmed by the Kirin Tor's argument as well.

Needless to say, Lor'themar absolutely destroyed the Kirin Tor. His opening address was calm and measured, refuting Aethas' complicity in the theft of the Divine Bell, and countering Dalaran's sense of betrayal with that of his own people. He spoke movingly about the terror the Sunreaver civilians felt when their former friends started purging them from their homes. He spoke of his and Aethas' personal anguish upon discovering they had been deceived by a colleague once more.

Then the Regent Lord focused his attention on Jessina Suntouched. Rommath had been right; the spy had only heard a fraction of what had been said, although Lor'themar chose not to reveal what was really said. Braelyn assumed that he was waiting until Rommath testified.

Braelyn almost felt sorry for the elf woman when it became clear the rogue would never be able to set foot in Quel'Thalas again.

Almost, but not quite.

As Lor'themar spoke, Lady Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner's faces became stonier and stonier. Braelyn wondered if they were angry at how well Lor'themar was speaking, or if they were despairing over Aethas slipping out of their reach.

After Lor'themar finished cross-examining Jessina Suntouched, Lord Zhu declared a break. "Well, our luncheon today is certainly goin' ta be interestin'," Moira said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Varian snorted, but said nothing, heading for Lady Proudmoore with a scowl on his face.

"'Interesting' is one way of looking at it, I guess," Braelyn replied, searching the crowd for her husband, but Rommath was nowhere to be seen.

The ambassodor frowned. _I hope he's prepared. Jaina will be out for vengeance after this morning._

* * *

><p>Lor'themar's first witness was Aethas Sunreaver, something that surprised the Kirin Tor. While Braelyn had not known about it, she was not taken aback. Aethas was not the type of person to hide behind his friends.<p>

The Archmage was nervous, long eyebrows twitching slightly as he sat facing his accusers.

"Aethas Sunreaver, tell us, did you know about the portal conjured by Fanlyr Silverthorn to enter Darnassus for the purpose of stealing the Divine Bell?" Lor'themar asked, his face expressionless.

"Yes," the archmage replied bluntly.

A startled murmur flowed like fire through the crowd, though it ended when Lord Zhu cleared his throat. Braelyn glanced at Lady Proudmoore, who looked as if she didn't know whether to be shocked or gleeful. Vereesa Windrunner was grinning.

"When did you find out about the portal?" Lor'themar asked.

"I did not find out about it until after the theft, when I stumbled upon a Horde adventurer..." Aethas said, holding everyone's attention with his quiet voice. As he spoke he gained confidence, as if the act of confession was relieving his guilt and liberating his spirit.

By the time Aethas finished talking, Vereesa was no longer grinning, and a hint of doubt flickered across Lady Proudmoore's face.

When Rommath took the stand and told the court (glaring at Lady Proudmoore the entire time)that he had heard Aethas' full confession and was in no doubt of its genuineness, Kirin Tor shoulders were beginning to slump in defeat.

No one was able to back up the blood elf spy.

But then Lor'themar did something that shocked everyone, including Braelyn, and all but insured Aethas' freedom.

"I hearby call to the stand, Rak'tesh Bloodfist."

Rak'tesh Bloodfist... the name was familiar, but it took a few seconds for Braelyn to remember where she'd heard it. When she did, she had to slam a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out... and to hide her grin.

Rak'tesh Bloodfist was the Orc who'd threatened to kill the blood elves if Aethas spoke to Jaina about the portal.

_But how? _Braelyn thought. _How did they find him?_

Braelyn looked over to the Horde, and noticed that Warchief Vol'jin was looking very pleased with himself. In that moment, Braelyn lost a little piece of her heart to the Darkspear troll.

_Game over, Proudmoore... Game over._

* * *

><p>Because the Celestials never did anything quickly, the trial was adjourned overnight so they could deliberate. The trial's participants traveling back to their homes via portal. Braelyn didn't sleep, chosing to pace the halls of Stormwind Keep to expend her nervous energy. In Silvermoon, Rommath was doing the same in the library.<p>

When dawn came, Braelyn was the first through the portal after the King.

It was Yu'lon who delivered the verdict.

_Not guilty._

* * *

><p>No one seemed surprised, though the Kirin Tor still seemed shocked by how badly they had performed.<p>

Jaina Proudmoore stood, shoulders heaving, lips pressed tightly together. She nodded at the Celestials and Lord Zhu to show that she accepted their judgement.

"Jaina," Varian called out in warning, seeing how angry the woman was.

Lady Proudmoore shook her head, then grasped the edge of the table. With a loud scream, she upended the table, sending parchment and glasses everywhere. She then turned around and stalked off, Vereesa following at her heels. The two women disappeared through a portal not long afterwards.

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't over?" Varian sighed in frustration, rubbing the scar that ran across the bridge of his nose.

"Do not worry, my lord," Braelyn said, "she promised to honour the verdict."

"That doesn't mean she won't try for vengeance."

* * *

><p>"Princess Moira, may I ask a favour?" Braelyn asked the dwarven woman as they mingled among the various Horde and Alliance leaders and supporters.<p>

"Aye," Moira replied. "After what ya helped pull off, I'll be happy ta!"

"Great! I need you to meet my husband and keep him distracted while I talk to Warchief Vol'jin."

"Why do ya need a distraction?" Moira asked.

"Because Rommath gets a bit... twitchy when I'm around trolls. Male trolls, especially."

Moira laughed heartily as she followed Braelyn over to where Rommath was talking with Lor'themar, Halduron, and Aethas. All three men greeted her warmly when she approached, and were only too happy to meet the Princess.

While Rommath was busy discussing using the possible uses of ore in alchemy with the dwarf, Braelyn slipped away to find the Warchief...

* * *

><p>Warchief Vol'jin had never been fond of humans, finding them to be an untrustworthy lot. The past two years, however, had changed his opinions somewhat; he now acknowledged that there were some humans worthy of respect. So he was willing to allow the young Alliance ambassador to Silvermoon to approach him.<p>

When she smiled at him and greeted him without fear but plenty of honour, he knew that she was a human worthy of respect, especially given her support of the blood elves.

When she ignored his outstretched hand in favour of wrapping her arms around him in a hug, Vol'jin knew he'd finally found a human he could call a friend.

The pleasant surprise was well worth the blistering death glare the woman's husband was sending his way.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>do any of you guys have the flippable table you can buy from the guy at Halfhill Markets? I do. I love flipping it in LFR. Originally, Rommath's testimony was going to be more prominent, but I didn't want things to get too wordy.

Next Chapter: Jaina and Vereesa will have their revenge, and Aethas is not the only on in their sights.


	9. The road to Lor'Danel

"Are we never to have justice, Vereesa?" Jaina Proudmoore asked as she settled herself behind her desk. The citizens of Dalaran were in shock at Aethas Sunreaver's acquital, and angry that there was nothing they could do to avenge their wounded pride.

Jaina felt their disappointment magnified a hundred times over. As their leader, it was her duty to keep them safe and to restore their dignity. Having promised the Shado-Pan that she would accept their decision as final, she now had her hands tied.

A surge of grief and anger overwhelmed her, followed by a wave of self-disgust. She was a failure. She'd failed to save Theramore, and now she'd failed to serve Dalaran as a true leader should have.

And her father... at the time, Jaina had felt that she was a disgrace for failing to talk her father into backing down from the orcs. Now, she felt that she was a fool for ever thinking her father was in the wrong. If only she had listened to him, if only she had supported him instead of Thrall, if only she had never urged Varian to take the path of peace and diplomacy.

If only, if only, if only.

"Only if you insist on playing the good little girl, subservient to the King of Stormwind," Vereesa replied, voice hard and heavy with bitterness. The trial's outcome, though not unforeseen, still caused her much anguish. She'd promised her children, promised her husband's memory, that the Sunreaver's would be brought to justice, that they would be punished for the pain they had inflicted upon their family.

The Shado-Pan had denied her a chance to fulfill her promise, but Vereesa Windrunner was not a quitter, and she had no intention of giving up just yet. The Sunreavers would be brought to a reckoning. She'd tried to do it legally, with the support of their allies, but those allies had failed them. Now, she'd take matters into her own hands, and if she upset a few people in Stormwind or Ironforge, then it was too bad, so sad.

"What do you mean?" Jaina asked.

"We were outmaneuvered from the start," Vereesa replied, lips curling in disgust. "If it weren't for Braelyn Hawke interfering we would have won. She manipulated everyone to get the result she wanted. She doesn't care about serving the Alliance, or justice, all she cares about is pleasing her precious blood elf husband. She's more Sin'dorei than human now."

"The others do seem to trust her judgement," Jaina acknowledged, tapping her fingers on the edge of her desk. "I don't know why, though. It's her parents who are true heroes of the Alliance; Braelyn herself is nothing special."

"Are you really so blind, Jaina?" Vereesa said with a humourless laugh. She sighed when the human mage raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Moira likes her because they share the same kind of twisted romantic history. Velen is a hippy who likes anyone who talks about peace and forgiveness. As for Varian... well, even I can admit that Braelyn Hawke is a very pretty woman, and it's been many years since the king lost his wife."

Jaina gasped. "King Varian and Braelyn Hawke?! The king would never... "

"Oh, calm yourself," Vereesa said, with a roll of her blue eyes. "I know full well that Varian Wrynn would never lay hands on a married woman, especially seeing as the girl has eyes only for her husband. However, the fact that he does not act on his feelings is not proof that those feelings don't exist."

"I'm finding it hard to believe," Jaina said, searching her memory for any sign of the king's attachment to the ambassador that she may have missed. She snorted. "Do you think the Ambassador used his feelings to her advantage when it came to arranging the trial in Pandaria?"

"I doubt it. She's smart, but she's not cunning. I have a feeling the girl would be outraged by the suggestion... when she was done blushing with embarrassment after finding out that the king lusts after her."

"Can we use this knowledge against her somehow? Force her to turn away from the blood elves?" Jaina asked.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Vereesa said, pursing her lips. "We'd risk alienating Varian, which means we would lose not just his support, but the rest of the Alliance's as well."

"But?" Jaina prompted. "Out with it, Vereesa... I can tell you have a plan."

Vereesa grinned. "I've heard that the Grand Magister is a jealous man. I'm sure he'd be most displeased to find out about his wife spending so much time with a man who fancies her as much as the king does."

Jaina paused for a few minutes to digest what Vereesa was saying. "Are you suggesting we tell Rommath that his wife is having an affair with the King? Because I'm not sure that would achieve much."

"Not exactly," Vereesa said, eyes gleaming intensely. "It has become clear that our allies are more concerned with maintaining the peace than they are with upholding justice. This means that if we want justice, we must obtain it for ourselves, even if it means 'prompting' others to do things that they may not want to do. Emotions are a great motivator, Jaina. Do not forget that."

"I need more detail," Jaina demanded.

"I think it best that you leave things to me," Vereesa replied with a grin. "That way your surprise will be genuine." The high elf let out a vindictive laugh. "If my plan works as well as I think it will, then Aethas Sunreaver will be ours, _and_ the Horde will be dismantled, as it should have been two years ago."

"Really?" Jaina asked, hope and excitement shining in her eyes.

"Yes," Vereesa replied, "and the best thing is that we will come out of it looking like heroes. It will be the blood elves who will be the villains, the sin'dorei who plunge us into war."

"Then you best get started," Jaina said with a smile. "Justice has been kept waiting long enough already."

* * *

><p>Jessina Suntouched scowled at the male blood elf walking towards her with a lecherous grin on his face. When the scowl failed to divert him from his course, she brought out one of her daggers and made a show of coating its wicked looking blade with a slow-acting poison. She smirked as she saw the man's smile, and walk, falter before he rapidly changed direction.<p>

"Nicely handled," a woman said, slipping into the seat directly across from the blood elf rogue. The newcomer was human, but it was not unusual to see races from opposite factions mingling freely these days. Not that it ever mattered in the Salty Sailor Tavern. Booty Bay had always been about equal opportunity when there was money to be made.

Or stolen.

"Thanks," Jessina replied with a casual wave of her hand, "but I've had a lot of practice."

The blood elf looked more closely at her companion; tall for a woman, with short, dark hair, blue eyes, and a tattoo of a cog on the back of her right hand. The human did not look like she was one for hand-to-hand to fighting, but there was a certain cunning intelligence glinting in her eyes that suggested she was not someone to turn your back on.

"I'm surprised to hear that you're working for Dalaran again, Jessina," the human said with a sly smirk. "Things didn't turn out so well for you the last time."

"The money's good, that's all that matters to me," Jessina replied, but her eyes flared briefly with anger. She'd known it was a bad idea to stand as witness for the Kirin Tor in their stupid witch hunt, but she was greedy, and paid the price. The humiliation of Theron's questioning was bad enough, but the Regent Lord had made it clear she was no longer welcome in Quel'Thalas, effectively exiling her.

Jessina had no loyalty to her people, but she loved her home. Not to mention she had a small fortune stashed in her back garden.

"But is it good enough for my Defias Brotherhood?" Vanessa VanCleef asked, taking a lazy sip of her ale. She watched as Jessina wrote a number down on a scrap of parchment and pushed it over to her.

The number made her grunt in surprised appreciation. She let out a laugh as the blood elf held the parchment to a burning candle.

"What can I do to help the illustrious Jaina Proudmoore?" Vanessa purred.

Jessina shook her head, her elegant Sin'dorei ears bouncing slightly. "Not Proudmoore."

"Windrunner, then?"

"Yes."

"How interesting," Vanessa murmured, wondering what the high elf was up to. "What dies she want us to do?"

"The blood elves took something away from her, so she wants to take something away from them," Jessina said, a genuine smile gracing her features. She appreciated the desire for vengeance, it's what kept her in business. The rogue glanced around the tavern to make sure that she and Vanessa weren't drawing any unusual attention, then leaned forward and began outlining Windrunner's plan.

Vanessa was impressed. Windrunner's idea was thorough, and provided a wealth of opportunity for the Defias. She was almost tempted to offer her services at a discount in thanks for the chance to stick the boot into Stormwind.

"We have a deal," the human said, offering her hand to Jessina. "Tell your boss we'll have the target at the desired location in less than a fortnight."

* * *

><p>Braelyn's eyes welled with tears as she looked at the small headstone nestled among the trees outside the Grove of the Ancients, Darkshore. It was a pale grey arched stone. The inscription was as short as it was simple: Bitsie Sprazzletorque, beloved friend and daughter, child of Gnomeregan. On top of the stone, a small stone owl perched, its wings outstretched in flight.<p>

Braelyn's owl, Giggle, lost to the same group of Horde that had killed Bitsie.

The rogue would have approved.

"I miss you, little sneak thief," Braelyn said, voice wavering as she remembered the last time she'd seen her friend in this place. The pink haired gnome was shrieking as Braelyn's bear, Growly, carried her around the grove by the scruff of her neck.

Speaking of Growly...

Next to the grave sat a stone carving of a bear, the same height as the headstone. It was curled up asleep, but one eye was open and watching the headstone intently, as if guarding Bitsie's resting place.

It gave Braelyn some small measure of peace to know that where ever Bitsie and her pets were, they were together.

She wanted to stay longer and bask in this place of tranquility, but she'd been here for a few days already, and it was getting late. She'd promised Odariah she'd be in Darnassus by the end of the day, and gods help them all if she were late, not just because her cousin would be angry, but because Rommath would worry.

Since the trial, her husband had been uneasy about her going anywhere on her own, and he did not feel comfortable with Braelyn being outside Silvermoon City in general. Jaina's reaction had concerned him greatly, causing him to suffer the same nightmare he'd had the night before he's sent Braelyn home to her parents two years ago.

Braelyn refused to stay locked up in the city, so she compromised by agreeing to take Lorelai with her. The blood elf priest was excited about meeting with the priests of Elune, and visiting the Moonwells.

Braelyn kissed her hand and placed it against Bitsie's headstone. "I'll visit again soon, okay?" she whispered, then turned to find Lorelai watching her with compassion. "Are you ready to head for Darnassus, Lorelai?"

"I am," the priest replied. "I've arranged to borrow some sabres from the druids as there aren't any mages around to open a portal. After how badly you fared on the hippogryphs the other day, I think it best we don't fly."

"Thank the light for that!" Braelyn exclaimed. She'd always been a bad flier, not for lack of skill, but for lack of stomach. She hated being airborne, becoming nauseous at the mere thought of climbing on board a flying mount.

The trip from Lor'danel to the Grove had been particularly grueling this time around, due to the appalling weather. The strong winds and heavy rain left her stomach in knots, and her breakfast somewhere over the ocean. Three days later and her nausea still lingered.

After bidding farewell to the druids and thanking them once again for their kind treatment of Bitsie and her pets, Braelyn climbed onto her sabre. She chuckled as she saw how uncertain Lorelai looked on her own mount.

"Relax, Lorelai," Braelyn said, "the journey will not take long." She tapped her heals against her mount's flanks, and headed out onto the rough stone path leading to Lor'danel.

"Go, Violet," Braelyn called. "Go hunt, I'll be fine with Lorelai, but you need to eat and stretch your wings. Go on now." The hunter shooed her dragonhawk away, watching as she flew into the early afternoon sky. As Braelyn had elected to leave Denaria and Bitey in Silvermoon, the dragonhawk had become a lot more clingy and protective than usual.

"Just don't expect me to growl at things," Lorelai said with a grin. "We priests make awful tanks."

* * *

><p>By nightfall, Braelyn and Lorelai should have staggered through the portal into Darnassus, worn out by the flight from Lor'danel. Yet as the moon rose over the house of Odariah and Andorien Starbreeze, the two women were nowhere to be seen.<p>

In the Grove of the Ancients, the druids of the Cenarion Circle were woken by the shrieks of a frantic dragonhawk, and the Ancient Onu stood to one side, warning of dark creatures roaming the woods, heralding in a new age of war.

And on the road to Lor'danel, just past the ruins of Auberdine, a draenei shaman and a worgen warrior stumbled upon a blood elf priest lying in a river of her own blood. When they rushed to aid her, all she could tell them before she lost consciousness was to beware the soldiers of Stormwind.

The next evening, in the Alliance's grand capital, Grand Magister Rommath stood before the King demanding an answer to one simple question:

"Where. Is. My. Wife?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>oooh. Seriously, Braelyn needs to rethink ever travelling to Darkshore.

Next chapter: we find out what happened to Braelyn and Lorelai on the road to Lor'danel, and learn that it is just part one of Vereesa's twisted plan. The relationship between Stormwind and Silvermoon deteriorates, despite the best efforts of our intrepid Agents of Light.


	10. Love that is, was, and could have been

Randall Garret was back in Stormwind Keep, and he knew his abilities would be tested by the tense situation playing out in front of him. On one side of the throne room an irate King Varian sat fighting the urge to go for his sword. On the other, an infuriated Grand Magister of Silvermoon stood barely containing the urge to slaughter everyone in sight.

"Where is Braelyn?" Rommath demanded again. "Where is she?!"

"Grand Magister Rommath," Varian said, voice seething with anger, "out of kindness for Ambassador Hawke, I am willing to overlook the disrespectful way you're treating me, and the threats you've made against my people." The King turned his eyes to the far corner of the room, where his advisor was cowering in fear, the man's finely woven tunic still smouldering. "But you _will _calm yourself."

Any other man would have been intimidated by the King's fierce gaze in to backing down, but not Rommath. Randall could tell that Varian's words had been like oil thrown on a fire elemental. Thinking quickly, the Agent of Light moved forward, placing himself between the blood elf and human men. He stared directly into Rommath's eyes, willing the man to calm down.

"I'd think twice before doing anything rash, my lord," Randall said to the Grand Magister. "Why don't you try telling us what's happened? It's been at least ten days since the ambassador was last in Stormwind."

"That's right," Genn Greymane said, just as eager as Randall to defuse the situation. "We last saw Braelyn after the trial, at the debrief."

"I escorted her to the portal personally," Varian bit out. "Her last words to me were that she was looking forward to being reunited with you."

Rommath began to calm down, though the anger was replaced with fear. Lorelai had been certain that her attackers, the ones that had abducted his wife, were Stormwind soldiers. Varian had to know about them, if he didn't...

"Braelyn did make it home from that meeting," Rommath conceded, his voice levelling out, although his body remained tensed. For all the talk of peace, Stormwind would always be the home of the enemy to him. "A few days ago she decided to go to Darkshore, to visit the grave of a friend of hers. I was unable to go with her, so she was accompanied by our friend, Lorelai Sunblessed. Last night they were due in Darnassus. They never arrived."

Rommath began pacing, something he always did when he had a troubled mind. "This morning I was summoned to Darnassus by Odariah, my wife's cousin. Lorelai had been found half-dead, and alone, outside the ruins of Auberdine by some travellers. She managed to tell her rescuers, and then me this afternoon, that they were attacked by Stormwind soldiers."

King Varian shot to his feet. "What?!"

"According to Lorelai," Rommath continued, eyeing the king warily, "they were riding along when their mounts were shot out from under them. They were then surrounded by a group of fifteen or so people clad in the armor and tabard of Stormwind soldiers.

"I investigated the scene before coming here, fearing that Braelyn had fallen by the roadside, and gone noticed by the women who found Lorelai. There were signs of a fight, but no Braelyn. I did, however, find these." Rommath handed Randall a few Alliance badges, and a folded scrap of parchment. the guard handed them to the king who growled in disbelief when he saw them.

"What are they?" Rommath demanded.

"Officer's insignia," Varian said, "from the Siege of Orgrimmar campaign." The king unfolded the parchment and frowned as he read aloud the note's contents, "'Death to the traitor. Death to the blood elf's whore. Death to all those who support the false and unjust peace.'"

An outbreak of scandalised whispers broke out at the king's words. Braelyn was well liked at Stormwind Keep, at least among the staff. The nobles were a bit disgruntled that a mere adventurer had been elevated to such a position, but when were the nobles not disgruntled?

"And you honestly thought I had a hand in this?" Varian demanded, his own anger mounting. "I assure you, Rommath, that I did not. If I'd wanted to take her away from you, I would've done it already. I could have easily done so, and I most definitely would not have needed to kill anyone else to do it."

Rommath growled. "Can you blame me for coming here?"

Varian shook his head. "I will look into this," he promised the blood elf, a determined glint in his eyes. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Braelyn and Lorelai had been staying at the Grove of the Ancients in Darkshore. I went to speak with the druids there, and they told me that Braelyn's pet dragonhawk had flown into the camp after midnight, shrieking in distress. She'd been injured, and I'm guessing that whoever took Braelyn tried to kill her pet to prevent it from aiding its master, or fetching help."

"This is a despicable business," Varian snarled, "and if I find out that my men _were _responsible, then may the Light have mercy on them, for they shall receive none from me."

"I will leave you to it, then," Rommath said, though he very much wanted to stay and beat the truth out of every soldier he could lay his hands on. "I will be returning to Darnassus. High Priestess Tyrande has been kind enough to have her own people looking for Braelyn and caring for Lorelai, but I must keep searching for my wife myself."

"I understand," the king replied. "I will alert the Council to what has happened, and ask them to keep their eyes and ears open. I'll let you know what I discover."

Rommath bowed, not trusting himself to say anything else, and teleported out of Stormwind Keep.

As Varian started bellowing instructions at his staff, Randall Garret frowned. He could feel hands that were not his own manipulating the fate of Azeroth, and Braelyn Hawke in particular. He also knew, without knowing why, that this time, he was not to get involved. He let out a sigh. Being told to stay out of the affairs of ordinary mortals meant that something big was happening, something that they had to work through on their own.

This knowledge did not sit well with Randall. It was clear that they were all being played, although the whos and the whys were unknown to him.

"Have faith, Braelyn Hawke," Randall murmured, and muttered a quick prayer for her safety. It was all he could do.

* * *

><p>The moment Braelyn had seen her attackers, she knew that something wasn't quite right, besides the whole 'Alliance soldiers attacking the Ambassador and her friend' thing. However, the sudden shock of her mount's collapse, and the fact that she and Lorelai were outnumbered two-to-one, meant that she'd had no time to process what that something was.<p>

During her three days of captivity, though, she had nothing _but _time to figure it all out. Firstly, she remembered little things from the fight that hadn't seemed important at the time, but now screamed at her for attention. The soldiers were dressed in the heavy plate armor of Stormwind officers of the warrior and paladin variety, but when Violet had been knocked out of the sky, it was with a dagger, not a throwing knife.

Secondly, before passing out, Lorelai had said that she'd been poisoned. The priest had mentioned a drug used to slow down a person's circulatory system, preventing them from bleeding to death, or ensuring that they did so slowly. It was if their attackers wanted to keep Lorelai alive, while making it look they'd done their best to kill her.

While it was not unheard of for other classes to use poisons in the case of adventurers or mercenaries, it was not the done thing in the military. Especially for non-rogue officers.

The final thing bugging Braelyn was the way her attackers had fought. They were slow and awkward, as if uncomfortable or unused to their armor. Some of them were downright ungainly, so much so that Braelyn felt that if she and Lorelai had not been so outnumbered, they would have fought the attackers off easily.

After three days, in their company, Braelyn had also seen and heard many things to confirm her suspicions. Her captors were not Alliance soldiers.

The armor, weapons, and tabards were enough to fool someone unfamiliar with the military, or in the heat of a quick battle. A closer inspection, however, revealed that they were of poor quality, and looked cheap, something that a newly enlisted recruit would wear, but an officer would never be seen dead in. The tabards, especially. Soldiers held those things as sacred, a physical representation of all that they fought for. They were well made, and well looked after.

Braelyn had grown up surrounded by Alliance officers. They were generally well spoken, and highly educated, coming from either noble or merchant backgrounds. Some managed to work their way up from the lower ranks, but by the time they did so, they had achieved a certain spit and polish.

Braelyn's captors were charming when they wanted to be, but it was a façade, and underneath it was all the upfront, brutally honest, rough around the edges style of the non-nobles. With a liberal dose of Booty Bay slums for good measure.

So her captors were either lower ranked soldiers pretending to be officers, or they weren't soldiers at all. Braelyn believed they were mercenaries, although that could be just because she couldn't bear the idea of the Alliance harbouring such creatures within their ranks.

Braelyn sighed as she fought to keep her breakfast in her stomach. Her injuries from the battle were minor; cuts and bruises, and a slight concussion. She had been poisoned, though, she thought. Nothing deadly, just something to keep her weak and nauseous, and unable to fight.

She thought of Lorelai, and prayed that her friend had received help in time. Poison or no poison, there was only so much blood a person could lose before they were unable to be saved.

Her parents must have found out by now. They would be so worried for her. Her mother would probably be in Darkshore right now, shaking down everyone she came across for information, while her husband stood by with his sword in hand, looking intimidating.

And Rommath... Braelyn felt a wave of longing come over her when she thought of her husband. How furious and wild with worry he must be. She remembered how reluctant he'd been to say goodbye to her when she left Silvermoon, unnerved by his nightmares.

She wished she knew where she was, but she'd been unconscious during the journey from Darkshore. She knew she was near the ocean, as she could hear the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline, and the cries of seagulls flying overhead.

The rooms she was kept in had windows, but they were set high above her, close to the ceiling. She'd give anything to be able to see something other than the stone walls around her, to breathe fresh air, and feel sunlight on her skin.

Another bout of nausea washed over her, and Braelyn cursed the one responsible for it. As she was fighting the urge to vomit, the door open and closed behind her.

"Oh, dear," an unfamiliar voice said. "Do I need to fetch a healer?"

"Don't bother," Braelyn snapped. "I'd rather be ill than deal with one of those bastards." She turned around to find a young woman not much younger than herself watching her with amused eyes. She had short black hair and blue eyes that were cunning, and far older than the woman they belonged to.

"Who are you?" Braelyn asked, eyeing her visitor with suspicion. This woman was very different to the men keeping her captive.

"My name is Vanessa," the woman replied, and to Braelyn's surprise, held her hand out to shake, even removing her leather glove to do so. Out of habit, Braelyn took the offered hand and shook, eyes darting down at their clasped hands. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the tattoo on the woman's hand.

It was a cog... the sign of the Defias Brotherhood.

"I see you recognise who I am?"

"You're Vanessa VanCleef!" Braelyn said in disbelief. "What are you doing here? I thought you and your goons would be too busy causing trouble in Westfall to go around kidnapping Ambassadors."

Vanessa laughed. "Yes, I can see why Wrynn made you a diplomat with tact like that," she said. "But, to answer your question, when the price is right my people are more than willing to diversify our business. Besides, since Azeroth entered this glorious time of peace, the Alliance has had the money and personnel to spare on securing places like Westfall, and take proper care of the refugees. I must broaden my base of operations in order to survive. Nothing personal, Ambassador Hawke; it's just business."

Braelyn muttered something about what Vanessa could do with her business, before sitting down heavily. _What the hell did they use on me?_

"Am I to be ransomed? Held hostage indefinitely for some political purpose?" she asked. "I should warn you, the last time that happened, it didn't exactly work out the way my captor expected."

"Oh, I know," Vanessa laughed. "I've heard your story, and I must confess I admire you greatly." That caused Braelyn to make a loud scoffing sound. "It's true. It must have taken a great deal of strength to survive all that, not to mention deal with all the fuss surrounding your wedding."

Braelyn said nothing, so Vanessa shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking. "You will not be killed, nor will you be ransomed as such. You are simply being kept out of the way."

"Kept out of the way of what?" Braelyn demanded, eyes flashing with anger.

"You're a smart woman, Braelyn Hawke," Vanessa said, heading to the door. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." She laughed again as she closed the door behind her, Braelyn's glass shattering against the wood.

"Damn it!" she swore, and for want of anything else to do, went back to bed. She was so tired, that it was not long before she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Rommath detested Booty Bay with a passion. It was filthy and full of the most untrustworthy scum in Azeroth. He'd rather be back in Stormwind having tea with Varian Wrynn than endure another second in this miserable tavern full of drunken louts and the stench of rotting garbage.<p>

But Boxer had said that if they were to find any information on where Braelyn was, it would be in Booty Bay. Considering the goblin walked a fine line between diplomat and shady businessman, Rommath had to trust the man's instincts on the matter.

The blood elf watched as the goblin slid a bag full of coins across the counter to the barkeeper. The night elf had looked very forgetful, but when he lifted the purse and felt how heavy it was, he suddenly got a lot more talkative.

Rommath's fingers dug into the table top. He was desperate for any news that would help him find his wife. His heart clenched painfully within his chest at the thought that Braelyn was lost to him for good.

He wouldn't survive another separation.

"You look like you could use a drink, my friend," a human male said, plonking himself in the chair across from Rommath. He pushed a mug of ale towards the Grand Magister, who glared at it, and then the interloper with eyes that promised a painful death.

"I am not your friend," he said in a deadly whisper, "and I am not stupid enough to drink the swill that passes as alcohol around here, especially not when it's handed to me by a shady rogue."

To Rommath's increasing frustration, the unidentified man just threw his head back and laughed.

"Well, that just shows that you're a smart man!"

"I am not in the mood for idle chit-chat, fool," Rommath hissed. "Begone, before I demonstrate just how clever I can be."

"No need to get hostile," the blonde haired rogue chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "I came over because I heard you were looking for Braelyn Hawke, but if you don't want to chat..."

Rommath's hand shot out and grabbed the rogue's wrist tightly. "How do you know Braelyn?" he demanded. "You have five seconds before I set you on fire."

"Everybody's heard of Braelyn, blood elf," the annoying human said, brown eyes dancing with amusement, "but I have heard a few things that might interest you."

"Speak quickly."

"Well, have you spoken to King Varian?" The rogue winced as the grip on his wrist tightened painfully.

"Do not waste my time," Rommath growled. "The king was one of the first people I went to see."

"But did you ask the right questions?" The rogue held up a hand to ward off the breaking of his wrist. "I mean, you did know that Wrynn fancies your wife, right?"

Rommath froze in shock. For a full minute he was unable to speak, the surprise robbing him of coherent thought. "What?" he finally managed to bite out.

"Ah, I can see you weren't aware of it... " the human muttered, rubbing the wrist Rommath had dropped in shock. "In Stormwind, it's common knowledge that King Varian likes the Ambassador to Silvermoon in a less than professional manner. In fact, it's said that his biggest regret is that he sent her to Darkshore, and therefore into your path."

"Braelyn never told me... " Rommath began, but the rogue interrupted with a shake of his head.

"She didn't know," the human said. "She only ever thought about the King as her boss. For her, the only man she cares about is you."

A small part of Rommath's mind was touched by Braelyn's devotion to him, but the majority of it was consumed by rage and jealousy. He remembered the king's words about how it easy it would be for him to steal Braelyn away from the blood elf. His heart began to race, blood pounding in his ears.

He stood up. Ignoring his unwanted companion, Rommath strode over to the bar and picked Boxer up by the goblin's long green ear. "We need to get back to Silvermoon."

The bar fell silent as the mage summoned a portal and disappeared, the goblin ambassador tucked under one arm.

In the corner, the human rogue grinned broadly and glanced over to where a blood elf woman was sitting in the shadows. Jessina Suntouched returned the smile, raising her glass in a toast to a job well done.

* * *

><p>Braelyn stood below one of the windows in her prison cell, ears straining to catch the conversation taking place on the other side of the wall. It wasn't a real prison cell, in fact it looked like the room was part of a decent sized house. There was evidence of recent repairs to the ceiling and one of the walls, suggesting that this place had suffered significant damage of some kind or fallen into disrepair.<p>

_Was it repaired for me? Or is it someone's home. Oh, Rommath, where am I?_

The voices outside were faint, and Braelyn could barely hear anything over the wind that had picked up that afternoon. What she did hear was alarming. One of the speakers was definitely not one of the people who kidnapped her. They sounded too... cultured, like an elf. But they lacked that melodic serenity that characterised the night elves, and the bold self-confidence that marked the Sin'dorei.

They spoke again, mentioning something about blood elves... the Sunreavers! They were talking about Aethas. Another few snippets and Braelyn realised she was listening to a high elf.

A high elf? Why would a high elf be here? Why would a high elf want her kept out of the way? Something was really wrong here, and Braelyn felt like she knew what it was, she just had to _think_.

"There's a simple spell we can use to turn our blue eyes green," she heard the mystery high elf say. "The colour of our eyes is the only way most humans know how to tell us apart from the Sin'dorei, they'll see us and think they're under attack by Silvermoon."

And Braelyn understood.

"Oh, gods help me," Braelyn said in horror, "They'll start a war. I have to get out of here!"

"And how do you plan on accomplishing that?" a voice said from the doorway.

Braelyn was paralysed with shock, recognising the voice as belonging to someone she never thought she'd see again. Or even wanted to.

After a few minutes passed in tense silence, Braelyn willed herself to turn around. Leaning against the door, blonde hair dishevelled by the wind, and brown eyes sparkling with mischief, was a man who had betrayed her in a most despicable way.

"Jack?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>The mysterious Jack appears! And will Rommath murder the king in a violent and bloody rampage?

Next Chapter: Braelyn confronts Jack about their past, while the Kirin Tor come under fire.


	11. Freedom

"Jack?" Braelyn asked again, unable to believe what she was seeing. Without thinking, she walked forward and poked him in the chest before running her fingers down the man's cheek.

"Yeah, Rae, it's me," the rogue replied, taking her hand in his and kissing it. Braelyn shuddered, not just at his touch, but also at the nickname. After his betrayal, she was never comfortable with people shortening her name, especially to Rae.

"You... you... bastard!" she exclaimed, yanking her hand free, and stepping backwards.

"Oh, love, calm down," Jack said with a laugh. "It's all in the past now, right?"

"I almost died because of you!" Braelen yelled, fists clenched tightly against her side.

"I would have gotten you out of the Stockades if SI:7 hadn't released you," Jack replied.

"I'm sure that would have been a great relief to my headless corpse!"

"Now you're just being overly dramatic."

"I'm sorry, I guess I should forget about the past," Braelyn conceded, eyes narrowing, her rage so great she was beginning to forget about how sick she was feeling. "After all, I have a whole _new _reason to be angry at you now."

Jack winced as he realised that he was making the situation worse from himself. He made a note not to tell her about his conversation with her husband. "Look, Rae, love, I know this seems bad, but, really, you're in no danger here," he gave his former lover his most charming grin, the one that had won her over all those years ago. "Just behave yourself, don't make trouble for the Brotherhood, and you'll be out before long."

"Yeah, that grin no longer works on me, arsehole," Braelyn snapped, crossing her hands over her chest. She smirked when she saw a quick flash of worry in the rogue's eyes. "And will I be let go before or after war breaks out?"

"War?" Jack asked in confusion. "What are you talking about, love?"

"Don't call me 'love'!" Braelyn snapped. "There's only person entitled to call me that, and you are most definitely not him!" She took a deep breath. "And don't play dumb, Jack, I know you're not a fool."

"Sorry, lo... Braelyn," Jack stammered, "but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

Braelyn sighed in frustration. Trust Jack to keep playing games long after the need to do so had passed. Then again... maybe he was just a hired lackey, doing what he was paid to do and not asking questions. The Defias did ocassionally hire freelancers, and Jack was the type of person who never cared about details when it came to his employers, as long as he got paid on time.

She looked at his gloved hands. "Take off your gloves," Braelyn commanded.

"Excuse me?" Jack said. He looked down at his hands as if trying to figure out Braelyn's interest.

"Take off your gloves and show me your hands," Braelyn insisted.

With a shrug, Jack removed his leather gauntlets, revealing the long, smooth fingers of the aristocrat he was. It must have been difficult for him to keep them so soft considering the line of work he was in.

Jack raised his hands to Braelyn, turning them over to show her both the palms, and the backs. They were clean, no tattoo in sight.

Braelyn let out a relieved sigh. "You're not with the Defias, then?" she asked. "Not one of Vanessa Van Cleef's lackeys?"

Jack let out a loud burst of laughter. "Oh, hell, no!" he said. "I do a bit of freelance work for her, but I'm from the House of Nobles, so it's best that Vanessa and I keep our distance from each other. Only said I'd help with this job because it involved you, and I wanted to see how you're doing."

"How touching," Braelyn muttered. She glared at Jack. "We're you one of the fake soldiers?" she asked. "Were you responsible for hurting my friend?"

"Fake soldiers?" he replied. "Not me, love. I just helped set this place up, and ran a few messages."

"Well, Jack, tell me," Braelyn asked, "why do you think I was kidnapped?" She had to wrap her arms around her waist to stop herself from slapping him as Jack shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"I think it has something to do with your choice of husband," he said, clearly bored with the conversation now. "You pissed off a fair few people, love. I'm guessing someone wants to show the blood elves that they can't just go around stealing our women folk. Or perhaps they want to send a message to Wrynn about letting marriages like this happen."

The rogue stopped and thought for a moment. He grinned. "Are you thinking your man will start a war to get you back?"

Braelyn shook her in disbelief as she scoffed. "I've been locked in this room for almost a week now, and I've still managed to find out more about the situation than you have." She raised a trembling hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was still so damn tired.

"Jack, I was kidnapped by men pretending to be officers in the Stormwind army, screaming about traitors to the Alliance and an unjust peace," she exclaimed. "I also just overheard a high elf talking about disguising himself as a blood elf in order to trick humans into thinking they are being attack by a Sin'dorei. Does that strike you as a plot to warn blood elf men to stay away from human women?"

Jack frowned, and Braelyn could tell he was digesting what she had said. As much as she disliked rogues, she could admit that were not, as a rule, stupid people. They were cunning, intelligent, and adept at reading people and situations. She could almost see the lightbulb go off above Jack's head as the man came to the same conclusion that she had.

The rogue let out a low, appreciative whistle. "Well, I'll be," he said. "Someone's ambitious."

"Not ambitious, Jack," Braelyn said, "vengeful. I should have known those two bitches wouldn't just lie down and accept defeat back in Pandaria."

"Lady Proudmoore, then?" Jack asked. Braelyn nodded grimly.

"Once the conflict intensifies, I'll bet those Stormwind soldiers will be outed as fakes, hired by the blood elves. I'm guessing Proudmoore wants to start a war in such a way as to be able to tell the rest of the Alliance 'I told you so'. With the added bonus of making the Sin'dorei out to be the main villains, _and _being able to torture me.

"She's clever, Jack; using my abduction as a catalyst for war is painful enough, but keeping me locked up so I can't reveal the truth or resolve this issue until it's too late is even worse. Perhaps they'll even make me out to be complicit in the whole affair, a willing participant in a Silvermoon plot to destroy the Alliance."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, love. We all know that once war starts, the truth won't matter. Old hatreds will take over, and we'll be back to how things were five years ago." He then gave another shrug of his shoulders and started heading towards the door.

"Wait!" Braelyn cried. "Where are you going?"

"I can't sit around talking to you all day, love," Jack replied, "as lovely as it's been to see you again. I've got things to do, hunters to gank."

"I can't believe you!" Braelyn shrieked, stalking towards him. "You backstabbing, traitorous, disloyal, lying bastard!" she added, emphasising each word with a blow to Jack's head and shoulders. The rogue let out a pained cry, and rolled away from her, warding her off with outstretched hands.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?" he yelled, rubbing his head with one hand and eyeing her as if she were a wild beast.

"'What the hell is wrong with me'?" Braelyn repeated angrily. "What the hell is wrong with _you_? I tell you that war is about to break out, and your response is to shrug your shoulders like it's no big deal and leave?"

"I'm a freelance rogue, love; there's great business opportunities to be had in war-time," Jack said.

"Oh, really?" Braelyn challenged, managing to land a few more solid blows to his chest. "And how do you think war will affect the value of your properties, Jack? If you manage to keep hold of them, that is. I know Lady Sylvanas is keen on Duskwood, and Redridge is always having trouble with the Blackrock Orcs. Then there's Westfall. Vanessa Van Cleef would have to be an idiot not to take advantage of a war to take over Sentinel Hill. And she doesn't strike me as an idiot."

Braelyn stopped trying to beat Jack as the rogue got a thoughtful look in his eye. "Well, there's plenty of gold to be had in peacetime, too, I guess" he said. "Government's pay well to obtain the information needed to maintain the peace."

"Are you going to help me get out of here, Jack?" Braelyn asked. "If you ask for payment, though, I will start hitting you again," she warned.

"Heh, fair enough," Jack said. "Yeah, I'll help you, love, but we'll need to wait a day or so."

"We don't have time!"

"I need to get another key, Rae," Jack said, "and arrange a few things, like transportation. Plus, I don't need the Brotherhood seeing me help you out. I'd like to keep my head attached to my shoulders, thanks."

"Fine," Braelyn huffed, reluctantly seeing the truth to his words. "But, I swear, Jack, if you betray me again, I will hunt you down... and I have very powerful friends these days."

"Madam, you wound me!" Jack declared, hand held to his chest in mock distress, as he walked over to the door. He gave her another roguish grin and a waggle of his eyebrows before disappearing.

Braelyn didn't know whether to be hopeful or afraid.

* * *

><p>Boxer Dolarsine thanked the Light that the sin'dorei were blessed with a leader as level-headed and calm as Lor'themar Theron. The goblin ambassador and the Regent Lord were the only two people capable of talking Grand Magister out of his 'plan' to get Braelyn back.<p>

Rommath was convinced that King Varian _was _responsible for his wife's kidnapping, and that the only way to free her was to force the King to let her go. The mage's idea of 'force'? Teleporting into Stormwind and killing every human he saw until the king capitulated, with no guarantee that the king wouldn't end up dead also.

The Grand Magister only calmed down after Lor'themar pointed out that Braelyn would not take too kindly to such a response, especially from her husband. The Regent Lord's exact words were, "There are no grounds for divorce more certain to succeed than 'genocidal rage against the wife's people on behalf of the husband'. If you want to remain married to Braelyn once you've saved her, then I suggest you calm down and let me do my job."

Rommath didn't calm down, but he allowed Lor'themar to handle the situation. He stalked out of the Spire, heading for his house in the hope that he might find _some _peace in the memories of his wife.

"I have never seen Rommath so angry before," Halduron said, for once unable to even attempt a joke. The Ranger General looked troubled, well aware of how tense things now were. It was bad enough Braelyn was missing, but the situation was fast turning into a diplomatic nightmare.

"Neither have I, old friend," Lor'themar said with a weary sigh, "but you know how much he adores Braelyn. If anything has happened to her, he will be unstoppable."

The Regent Lord called for his chief steward, asking for some parchment, ink, and a quill. "I better write to Wrynn personally. Meanwhile, I suggest you and Boxer go pray that I can resolve this issue before Rommath does something stupid."

* * *

><p>Ansara Belodiere smiled as she finished translating another row of ancient Highborne text. It was slow going, and every sentence she got through felt like a major accompishment for the young Kirin Tor scholar. She was part of a small group of scholar mages studying the many beautiful ruins littering Ashenvale. It was a fascinating experience.<p>

She took a moment to appreciate her beautiful surroundings, but frowned when she noticed that the sun was close to setting. She'd let time slip away from her again. Hurrying to collect her parchment and charcoal, as well as the books she'd left scattered around, Ansara froze when she heard movement nearby.

"Hello?" she called. "Is that you, Solarin? I'm sorry I'm running late again." She looked around, but could see no one. She must have been imagining things, or perhaps one of the forest creatures was close by. Because of the destruction caused by Garrosh's orcs in the regions, it was not uncommon to see wild animals venturing into camps looking for food or shelter.

Ansara was still nervous, though; nervous enough to start heading back to the camp at a faster pace than she'd normally walk. She was relieved when the pretty little copse of trees the Kirin Tor were camping in came into view, the woods acting as both security and shelter.

"Solarin!" Ansara called out as the tents came into view, but something about what she was seeing caused her to stop suddenly. Something was wrong. It was too quiet; not even the birds were singing, and there were no mages engaged in heated arcane-related debates as they sat around the campfire like there usually was.

Ansara's eyes widened as her gaze landed on her and Solarin's tent. A long, sinister spray of blue blood coated one side. The mage started to hyperventilate as her eyes moved, involuntarily, to the left. A harsh cry tore from her throat as she saw one of her friends pinned to the trunk of a tree by a shard of ice.

"Nevarran!" Ansara cried as she rushed to the Draenei's side. She felt for a pulse, but could feel nothing but the chill of death upon the man's skin. She sobbed quietly, muttering a quick prayer for her friend's soul, before turning to look for the rest of her colleagues... and her husband.

Ansara's mentor, Arabella, was hanging from the same tree Nevarran was pinned to, her hands tied behind her back, and her face locked in an expression of pain and fear. Their night elf guide, who wasn't even a member of the Kirin Tor, was lying near the fire. Severen looked as if he had been mauled to death by his own pet, a nightsabre that was now laying dead by his master's side, fur still smoking from what could have been a fire bolt.

Dazzle, the youngest member of their group, was curled up as if asleep at the front of his tent. The gnome had no marks of violence upon him, but the stiffness of his body made it plain that he was dead.

Solarin, Ansara's high elf husband, was no where to be seen. She didn't know whether she was relieved or terrified by that. Was he still out exploring the second set of ruins, or was his body hidden somewhere, out of her sight?

"Solarin!" Ansara screamed. "Solarin!" She began to run around in her panic, only stopping when arms grabbed her roughly around the waist and neck. She let out a muffled shout as a sharp, burning pain pierced her shoulderblades. Blood began running down her back, soaking into her rich runecloth robes.

The grip around her waist loosened, and Ansara staggered forward, turning to face her assailant. A tall, slender Sin'dorei stood before her, clad in a Sunreaver tabard, with an elegant elven dagger clutched in one hand.

"W... why?" Ansara said, coughing as pain bloomed across her chest. She fell forward, grabbing the man by his tabard, and trying to summon an arcane blast. He grabbed her wrists, dropping the dagger as he did so.

"Ah ah ah!" he chided softly. "You need to save your energy. You need to stay alive to tell Lady Proudmoore who it was that attacked you."

Ansara looked at the blood elf in confusion. She heard movement around her, and realised that the man's companions were surrounding her. She did not look at them, her eyes focused solely on the elf in front of her. He looked so familiar to her, but that didn't make any sense. Ansara had never met any of the Sunreavers when they'd been a part of the Kirin Tor.

But she knew him. She'd bet her life on it.

She swayed and let out a pained huff of air, digging her fingers into the Sin'dorei's chest. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when her attacker's green eyes began to flicker. They rapidly changed colour, switching from the green of the blood elves' to the bright blue of the high elves. After a few seconds, they stayed blue.

_A high elf! _Ansara thought. _Why would a high elf be attacking the Kirin Tor?_

Ansara tightened her grip, intending to pull herself upright, but her legs gave way, weak from blood loss. As she collapsed to the ground, the man's tabard tore. When Ansara hit the ground, her eyes closing as she slipped into unconsciousness, the symbol of the Sunreavers was still clutched tightly in her hand.

* * *

><p>Braelyn had to wait two days before Jack returned, positive that he had done a runner and abandoned her yet again. She was still sick, still tired, still worried out of her mind, still homesick, still missing Rommath.<p>

It was only the faint hope that Jack might actually return and help that kept Braelyn going.

"Whoah, love, you look like shit," the rogue said as he woke Braelyn just after midnight.

"I feel it, too," she replied, punching Jack in the chest as hard as she could when the man's hands traveled places they had no right to as he helped her out of bed. "What's the plan?"

"You follow me. I take you to a mage friend. Friend portals you to Stormwind. Simple."

"Sounds too easy," Braelyn said, unable to believe that something that simple could actually work.

"Well, I suppose we could draw some aggro on the way out," Jack suggested with a playful grin, dodging another of Braelyn's punches.

Braelyn noticed how cold it was and frowned. She didn't have any armour to wear, only thin linen pants and a woolen shirt. She'd freeze to death before they got very far.

"Jack, it's too cold for me to go out dressed like this," she said.

"Not to worry, love, I brought you some things," Jack replied, handing over a small bag. Inside, Braelyn found clean woolen pants and a matching shirt, thick socks, and a warm winter cloak.

She put them on quickly, not even stopping to throw something at Jack when she noticed him watching her change. "Let's go," she said, moving to the door.

"Have you learned camouflage yet?" Jack asked, referring to the closest thing a hunter could do to stealthing. He smiled when Braelyn nodded. "Excellent. When we get outside this door, camo immediately, and then follow me as closely as we can. If we get separated, head for where the docks used to be."

"Ah," Braelyn said, confused, "you're acting like I know where I am, that'll I'll know where these docks were."

"You should do," Jack replied. "You'll understand when we get outside," he added, seeing Braelyn's doubtful look.

He opened the door and walked out. A second later there was a muffled curse and a thumping sound as Braelyn's jailor was knocked out. Jack dragged the woman's body into the room, and dumped it onto the bed. He swiftly secured her to the bed, gagging her with Braelyn's old shirt.

"Ready?" Jack asked. Braelyn nodded, and disappeared from sight as she camouflaged herself. "Quick and quiet, if you please, love."

It turns out Braelyn was being kept in a house, a rather large and beautiful one, human in style, but devoid of much in the way of decoration, or even practicality. It didn't appear as if the place was meant to be occupied.

They had to stop many times; Jack was popular with the Defias members present in the building, and nearly all of them wanted to chat with him about something. After listening to some of the discussions, Braelyn decided that as soon as she got home, she was going to write to her parents and tell them to get new locks, and perhaps build a moat. Preferably one stocked with basilisks.

When they did make it outside, Braelyn understood exactly what Jack had been telling her. She knew this place, she'd been here many times before.

She was in Theramore.

After the ceasefire, Thrall had returned the desolate ruins to Jaina Proudmoore in an attempt to pacify the woman's rage towards the Horde. Jaina had taken her city back, but had not changed her attitude towards her enemies in the slightest. In the past year some minor work had been done to clear the rubble, and prepare the city for rebuilding, but it was not Lady Proudmoore's priority.

As a result, the ruined city was the perfect location for the Defias Brotherhood to hide their captive. They had permission to be there, and if Varian had ever asked for Theramore to be searched, Jaina could easily step in and handle it.

If it weren't for the fact that she was surrounded by Defias rogues, Braelyn would have sworn out loud. Proudmoore and Windrunner had some nerve.

Then house Braelyn had been imprisoned in was on the edge of the city, reasonably close to the remains of Theramore's once bustling docks. She was glad of this fact, because camouflage was not as effective as the stealth used by rogues, and it was also difficult for her to maintain when she was feeling so exhausted.

The night was clear and calm, and a full moon illuminated the broken and burnt out skeletons of the city. It was eerie; Braelyn had never seen the city after its destruction at the hands of Garrosh's Horde. The last time she'd seen Theramore, it had been a vibrant trading hub, full of life and adventure.

Braelyn was surprised by how easy it had been for her to get to the docks. She hadn't even lost sight of Jack, staying within touching distance of the rogue the entire journey. Hopefully, the rest of her escape go just as smoothly. The last time she'd tried to escape a hostage situation, she'd wound up getting pulverized by an abomination. She still had nightmares about it, and Rommath grew pale anytime she mentioned it.

Jack headed toward the lighthouse, stopping when he reached a small cove. It was out of sight of the city, so Braelyn was able to drop out of stealth mode. The wind off the ocean was bitter, cutting right to the bone. She shivered and wrapped her cloak around her.

"I can warm you up, love," Jack said, offering her his flask. From memory, it would contain something revolting, like orcish rotgut, so she declined with a shake of her head.

"I don't think I could keep it down," she said, "and I'd hate to waste such fine liquor."

Jack laughed. "More for me then." He took a long swig, letting out an exaggerated sigh of happiness. Braelyn couldn't help but let out a faint chuckle.

"Just like old times, love!"

"Is that your way of saying that SI: 7 are about to arrive and arrest me again?"

"Are you ever going to forgive me for that?" Jack asked, shooting her a sad puppy face.

"On my death-bed. Maybe. If you're fortunate," Braelyn replied dryly. "Now, what's next, Jack?"

"He'll be hear soon enough," Jack said. "My buddy's a mage, he's going to open a portal to Stormwind for you, and a second portal somewhere else for me."

"Will you be all right?" Braelyn asked.

"Aww, concerned for me, love?" Jack asked. "I knew you still cared. You could always come with me, you know."

"I no longer wish for your death, Jack," Braelyn said firmly, "but that does not mean I've gone insane." From the way Jack laughed, she could tell that Jack was not serious about his offer. She doubted he was ever serious about anything.

Braelyn and Jack both tensed as they heard footsteps crunching on the sand. Jack had given Braelyn one of the daggers he'd stolen from the female rogue he'd tied to the bed earlier. She gripped it tightly now, holding it in front of her.

She relaxed a bit when Jack sheathed his own weapons and stepped forward to shake hands with the young male mage that appeared around the corner. Braelyn thought the man looked a little too young to be skilled in portal creation, but was desperate enough to try anything.

"Thank you for helping me," she said to the mage. He looked at her, and nodded his head curtly. He said nothing, not even reaching out to shake the hand Braelyn offered him. She frowned when she noticed the dislike in his eyes.

_This man does not like me, _Braelyn thought. She looked at Jack inquisitively, but the rogue just shook his head and shrugged.

"I'll open her portal first," the mage said, and his voice was full of contempt. Braelyn wondered if he was one of the people who considered her a traitor for marrying Rommath, or if he was angry at being forced by Jack into helping them. Maybe he was just an arsehole. Heaven knows there were plenty of them adventuring around Azeroth.

The portal opened in front of them, and Braelyn was relieved to see Stormwind shimmering in front of her. She looked at Jack. "Thanks for doing the right thing this time," she said.

"For you, love, anytime!" Jack replied with another of his charming grins. He took hold of both Braelyn's hands and kissed them. "Let me know if you get bored with the hubby."

The mage snorted, confirming her suspicion that he thought she was a traitor. Braelyn smiled sweetly at him, laughing internally at the man's confusion. "Thank you for the portal, sir," she said, bowing to him.

"I'd say to keep out of mischief," Braeyn told Jack, "but I think we both know how unlikely that is. Goodbye, Jack." With a half-smile to her ex-boyfriend, who gave her a jaunty wave in return, Braelyn stepped through the portal, and into the Mage's Tower of Stormwind.

She was half way to the Keep before she realised that Jack had stolen her wedding and engagement rings.

"Gods damn him!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>so the prepatch dropped yesterday. I lost serpent sting, and it has buggered my rotation right up. That, combined with me deciding that it was a good idea to finally rearrange my ui, means that I'm currently running around full of derp. My health also dropped from over 600k to 88.5k. I attempted to kill a couple of the Pandaren elite mobs last night and got owned. I haven't died that quick in a long time. My poor ego was bruised. I'm abit sad that belfs have to wait until the game releases to get the new models, but it's nice to see the other races now. We have cheekbones! And clearly defined noses! And fingers! Also, so much butthurt on the forums. It's only been two days, people!

That Jack. Always going to be a jerk.

Next chapter: Braelyn hurries to find the King so she can avert the war and be reunited with Rommath, but where is Varian?


	12. Hey, baby

Varian Wrynn loved his son. Anduin was the only physical reminder he had of his beloved wife, Tiffin. His love was so great that normally he dreaded the thought that one day the burden of kingship would be Anduin's to carry.

On nights such as this, however...

As Braelyn was languishing in Theramore and waiting for Jack to arrive, Varian was dealing with one painful nuisance after another. The Defias had increased their activity in Westfall. The house of nobles were being even more obnoxious than usual. He had made no progress with the investigation into Braelyn's disappearance, and her parents were pushing him for answers on a daily basis.

To add to the tower of woes threatening to bury the king, Varian had just received a letter from Lor'themar Theron. The Regent Lord basically said that Rommath believed that the King of Stormwind had abducted Braelyn Hawke for his own immoral purposes. Theron advised that unless Varian wanted the Grand Magister descending upon Stormwind to burninate the countryside, he should return the woman to Silvermoon post-haste.

Or words to that effect.

It was enough for Varian to wish, however guiltily, that Anduin was old enough, and skilled enough, to ascend the throne. Varian was quite willing to hand over total control of the Alliance if it meant he could just go fishing for a few days and relax.

But, if wishes were horses and all that...

"Your majesty?" Varian sighed in defeat as his chief advisor entered the king's office.

"What is it, Dominic?"

"An urgent letter has arrived by courier for you, my Lord," Dominic said. "It is from Lady Proudmoore." He winced at the torrent of foul language that came from the king.

"Very well, hand it over," Varian said, taking the envelope and contemplating burning it. What was the worst that could happen?

The king broke the violet wax seal and read Jaina's message. He frowned. She wanted him to come to Dalaran and meet with her, to discuss Braelyn Hawke's abduction. The leader of the Kirin Tor claimed to know who the mystery 'soldiers of Stormwind' were.

"Dominic, summon the Royal Guard," Varian ordered. "I must leave for Dalaran at once. Have Mathias Shaw brought to the Keep to guard my son personally. Show him the letters from both Lor'themar Theron and Lady Proudmoore, so that he understands how tense things have become."

"As you wish, Sire."

Varian got to his feet with a frustrated grumble. He strapped his sword to his back, before heading out to the throne room. Hopefully, this meeting with Jaina would solve at least one of his problems.

And Light knows he wanted Braelyn Hawke home.

* * *

><p>Jaina Proudmoore stood waiting at the Violet Citadel, hands clasped in front of her and wearing a clam expression that masked the excitement within. As soon as she'd heard about the kidnapping of Braelyn Hawke, she knew that Vereesa had put her plan in motion. While she did not know the details, Jaina was aware that the Ambassador's disappearance was causing tensions to rise between Silvermoon and Stormwind. The Grand Magister, in particular, must be beside himself with rage, and desperate to find his wife.<p>

Desperate enough to do something stupid? Jaina hoped so, although, considering the false information that Vereesa had asked her to pass along to the king, it did not really matter. Varian had refused to aid the Kirin Tor when she'd asked for help dealing with the Sunreavers, but now he would have no choice but to take action.

There was a bustle of movement as members of the Stormwind Royal Guard burst through the portal. They looked around for a few minutes, taking in Jaina and her own company of battlemages, before giving the all-clear. King Varian strode in, and Jaina was startled by his fierce countenance. It was as if the King were marching into battle.

"Lady Proudmoore," Varian greeted her curtly, giving her a short bow. "What is this about?"

"Your highness," Jaina replied, dropping into the expected curtsy. "Would you care to..."

"Just give me the news, Jaina. There's no time for pleasantries."

"Uh, very well," the mage stammered. "I managed to track down one of the Ambassador's assailants."

"Where is he?" the king demanded, eyes lighting up with fury.

"We have him locked in the Hold," Jaina replied, "but there's something you need to know before you talk to him, my lord."

"What is it?" Varian snapped, his patience running out.

"He's not one of your men," she said. The king looked startled, then relieved.

"He isn't?"

"No, your highness. He's a mercenary. He claims to have been hired by the blood elves to kidnap Braelyn Hawke."

"The blood elves?!" Varian excaimed. "Why in the Light's name would they kidnap Braelyn? It makes no sense! She's friends with their leaders, married to one of them even. I just received a letter from the Regent Lord this morning demanding I return her to Silvermoon, or else."

"I admit, it made no sense to me at first, either," Jaina confessed, frowning with a concern she did not feel. "However, I have thought of a few possible reasons..."

"What are they?" Varian growled. This mess was getting more and more complicated by the hour.

"The first is that perhaps not all blood elves were happy with the Grand Magister's decision to take a human wife. We may be at peace now, but many among the sin'dorei are loath to let go of old grudges. Perhaps, in taking Ambassador Hawke, they seek to send a message to Lor'themar Theron?"

"It could be so," the king admitted. "It is not as if I didn't receive a lot of criticism for 'allowing' the wedding to take place by upset humans.

"What is your second theory?"

"Well... you said you received a letter from the Regent Lord?" Jaina asked delicately. Varian nodded in response. "It may be possible that the blood elves are behind the abduction. By framing Stormwind, they'd be justified in attacking the Alliance."

"I doubt it," King Varian replied. "Rommath would never stand for it. He was wild with grief and rage when he came to see me. He'd oust Lor'themar as Regent Lord before he'd allow his wife to be used as a pawn."

"The mercenary did not know where Braelyn was being taken, just that she was to be kept safe. Perhaps, Braelyn was a willing accomplice in their sche... "

Varian growled at Jaina, and the mage took a startled step backwards. "Be carefull with your accusations, Lady Proudmoore. The Hawkes are one of our most noble families, and great friends of mine."

"I mean no disrespect, my lord," Jaina said, "it's just that Braelyn Hawke's marriage... "

"Did not turn her into a traitor," Varian interrupted. "If the blood elves are looking for war, than Braelyn would have had no part in it."

Jaina frowned. It seemed as if the rumours about the king's infatuation with the traitorous hunter were true. She was just about to try and convince the king of the plausibility of her theories when Vereesa Windrunner came running in, her face stern.

"My lady, your majesty," the high elf said, panting heavily, 'forgive the interruption."

"What on Azeroth is the matter?" Jaina demanded.

"There's been an attack on the Kirin Tor expedition to Ashenvale," Vereesa said. "Only one survivor, one of my rangers by the name of Solarin."

"Who?" Jaina demanded. "Who would dare attack a group of _my _scholars?"

Vereesa eyed the king warily. "Solarin said that when he returned to their base camp, he found the rest of the group dead, except for his wife. She was mortally wounded, but before she died, she told her husband that they had been attacked by a group of blood elves."

"Blood elves?!" Varian exclaimed. Jaina was pleased to see that the king looked outraged as well as surprised. It meant that he would not allow such a heinous crime against her people go unpunished.

"Solarin said his wife, who was human, was clutching a tabard when he found her. It was the tabard of the Sunreavers."

"NO!" Jaina yelled. "No! How could they?! Haven't they done enough to Dalaran? To me?"

Varian watched the scene play out in front of him. He was shocked, and very angry at the loss of Alliance lives, but something wasn't right. There was no doubting the grief and rage expressed by Jaina; she was genuinely distraught. Vereesa, however... the high elf was too calm, and she looked at both him and Jaina with a cold, calculating look, as if judging their responses.

"Varian!" Jaina exclaimed. "We must do something! We cannot allow these bastards to get away with this. Not this time."

"I agree," Varian said, grimly. He looked at Vereesa. "Summon the Alliance Council. Tell them we will meet in three days. Ask the dwarves to find a suitable location."

"The dwarves?" Vereesa asked. Varian noted how the high elf seemed to be thrown off-balance by his command, as if it were something she had not been planning on.

"Yes. This could turn out to be a war council, and if so, it should be held somewhere unexpected. Another meeting in Stormwind might put the blood elves on their guard, and make our own people unduly nervous. Plus, if you tell the dwarves to choose wisely, we will lower the risk of untrustworthy eyes and ears picking up things they shouldn't."

"The council is more than welcome to meet here," Jaina suggested, and Vereesa nodded. "It should be here."

"I'm sorry, Lady Proudmoore, but things will be too emotional here. I insist on Ironforge." Varian glared at Vereesa. The elf pursed her lips, but nodded once and stalked off. The king watched her go, unease eating away at him. He didn't know what was going on, but his instincts told him that it was very bad, and that the leader of the Silver Covenant was involved.

He would not give her the home ground advantage, not when things were still so explosive and full of uncertainty. The king's eyes drifted to Lady Jaina, who was hastily issuing instructions to her underlings. Just how much tragedy was that poor woman meant to endure?

"Jaina," he said, his voice low. "Stay here with your people. I will travel to Ashenvale and deal with things there."

"Thank you, your highness," Jaina replied. "You are most kind."

Varian bowed and headed for the portal to Darnassus. He would get to the bottom of this, and when he did, light have mercy on the ones responsible for so much pain.

* * *

><p>Braelyn arrived at Stormwind Keep just half an hour after the king left for Dalaran. She had managed, somehow, to go unnoticed until she reached the throne room. Probably because of how wretched she looked. She really did want to just lay down and pass out for a few days.<p>

"Ambassador Hawke!" Dominic yelled in shock. The room's other occupants stared in silence as Braelyn swayed on her feet. Luckily, there weren't very many of them; it was best that her return to Stormwind go unreported until she could speak to the king.

"I need to speak to King Varian," she said, eyes falling on King Genn and silently begging him to help her. "Lives are at stake. Please."

"My dear lady," Genn said, hurrying forward to lead Braelyn to one of the benches lining the throne room's walls. "Varian is not here; he went to Dalaran to visit Lady Proudmoore less than an hour ago."

"Dalaran?" Braelyn asked in a horrified whisper. She couldn't go to Dalaran; as soon as the Kirin Tor saw she was free, they'd kill her. Her tired brain registered movement, and she saw the advisor heading out of the room.

"Wait!" she bellowed, reeling as the effort made her dizzy. "Nobody leave this room!"

"But, Ambassador Hawke," Dominic protested, "your parents... "

"No one must know that I'm free," she insisted, "not yet, until I've warned the king." She got up and walked over to the advisor. "Trust me on this."

"What is going on?" Genn asked. "Warn Varian about what?"

"That the... the... " Braelyn swayed on her feet, her vision fading. She started falling forwards, saved from hitting the floor by the quick reflexes of the king's chief advisor. "Don't let... them.. know about... me," she whispered, feeling her strength fading. "Not... allies... not even... Rommath."

And then she was out.

* * *

><p>It was dark when Braelyn regained consciousness. A single candle burned on a small table to her right. She sighed, for a moment enjoying the soft mattress underneath her, as well as the warm blankets.<p>

Then she sat bolt upright and threw up.

Fortunately, she wasn't alone, and a quick hand thrust a chamber pot under her head just in time to contain the mess.

"Carefull, Ambassador," a warm voice said, and Braelyn turned to see a man sitting next to her. He looked very familiar to her, but she was too tired to make the connection.

"Morning sickness does not seem pleasant," a heavily accented female voice said, and a draenei stepped up behind the rogue. She raised a hand and Braelyn felt a surge of healing energy go through her, calming her stomach, and clearing her aching head.

"Morning sickness?" Braelyn questioned. "I'm not pregnant, I'm poisoned."

"I cast spell three times," the Draenei said vehemently. "You definitely with child. Congratulations!"

Braelyn was stunned, her mouth opening and closing uselessly a few times before a smile split her face. A baby. She was having a baby. She felt a wave of happiness wash over before she remembered what was happening.

"Oh, god," she said. "Where's the king?"

"You just found out you're pregnant and the first thing you do is ask for the king?" the man asked, shaking his head.

"Perhaps rumours are true?"

"Mishka!"

"What?!" Braelyn said. "Who are you people? I need to see the king, preferably before the war breaks out!" She attempted to get out of bed, but the draenei marched forward and shoved her, gently, back down.

"Lives are at stake here!" she protested as the woman tucked her in bed like a child.

"Yes, and two are right here in this bed," Mishka said. "Now shush."

"Do you not remember me, Braelyn?" the man asked, and she looked at him again. She let out a groan as the memory came to her.

"Mathias Shaw."

"That's right," they spymaster said. He looked Braelyn in the eye. "The king is not back yet, but he sent word that he's called a full council meeting to be held in Ironforge two and half days from now. He'll be going straight there from Ashenvale. The Sunreavers attacked a small Kirin Tor research party there. Whatever you wanted to tell him, I suggest you tell me."

Braelyn blanched, sinking back into her pillows. "Oh, no," she said again. "It wasn't them, it was the same people responsible for kidnapping me."

"And who was that?" Mathias asked, leaning forward. He smelled a good mystery, and he loved a good mystery.

Braelyn hesitated to tell him anything. Shaw may be SI: 7, but he was still a rogue. In fact he was _the _rogue; the roguiest rogue that every rogued. But then she thought of the baby. She couldn't give up just yet, not when there was still a chance to avoid bringing her child into a world at war. A world in which it would be separated from its father, and treated with suspicion and fear.

"Jaina Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner," Braelyn whispered. "They hired the Defias Brotherhood to kidnap me, and I overheard a high elf planning to attack some humans disguised as a blood elf. Gods, they were willing to kill their own people to get back at the Sunreavers... "

Braelyn struggled to get out of bed again, but Mathias stopped her. "Braelyn, are you sure of this?" he asked. Braelyn nodded emphatically. "Then let me handle this. We will get to the bottom of this, and I will speak to the king in person."

Mathais stood up, and looked at the Draenie. "Mishka, keep her safe. Do not let anyone but Prince Anduin or King Genn in to see her. I'll send word as soon as I can."

"As you wish," Mishka replied as her boss left the room. She turned to the human woman. "Anything I can do for you?"

"A cup of tea would be bliss," Braelyn said in resignation. If she couldn't be out finding the king, she wanted to go home, gods damn it. "Perhaps a bath?"

"Of course, but you need to be carefull. You need to regain your strength, put on weight, for baby."

Braelyn sat back and watched as Mishka stuck her head out the door and asked for tea and hot water. She wondered what her child would look like. Like her or Rommath? Perhaps a mixture of the two of them?

She paused as something she'd overheard earlier went through her mind again. "Mishka?" she asked her new nurse. "What did you mean by 'perhaps the rumours are true'?" She was surprised when the woman blushed and refused to look at her.

"Mishka?"

"Ah, well, you see... " the dreinei stammered, then told Braelyn about the stories going around Stormwind involving her and the king.

"By the Light!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - <strong>okay, so the pregnancy was going to be a last chapter reveal, but it seemed to want to come out now. Only two chapters to go now, or maybe one plus an epilogue. Feff, I can hear you squealing from here.

Next chapter: the Alliance Council meets again, but what has Mathias Shaw been up to?


	13. Don't need Goblins for explosions

The next few days passed by in a haze of stress, morning sickness, and increasing frustration, as Braelyn was kept prisoner by the Smiling Assassin. That was how she referred to Mishka, a woman who was even more determined and stubborn than Braelyn was.

Braelyn was kept bedridden most of the time, only allowed up to walk around every few hours, or to use the bathrooms. She resented being treated like that; she was pregnant, not a cripple, and she had begun to feel a lot better since escaping Theramore, at least physically.

Mentally, she was a mess. Mishka and Shaw were keeping her in the dark about what was happening in regards to the Kirin Tor. She knew that Shaw had found out something important in relation to the survivor of the 'Sunreaver' attack because she'd heard Shaw telling Mishka about it when they thought she was asleep. Shaw hadn't stuck around for long, stopping only to have a brief conversation with his draenei subordinate before leaving for Ironforge.

Braelyn knew that she had done the right thing by coming straight to the Keep instead of heading to her parents' house or taking the portal to Quel'Thalas, but she couldn't help wishing she were back in Silvermoon with Rommath. His absence from her life was almost unbearable.

She knew Mishka was going to go to the meeting in Ironforge. Braelyn wanted to go, too, but the draenei put her hoof down. She said that it was too dangerous and stressful, and that Braelyn needed to stay in Stormwind where it was safe.

Braelyn saw the wisdom in the other woman's statement; she had her baby to think about now. Yet, she was afraid that things would go badly, and that despite everyone's best efforts, war would broke out. That would be a tragedy in itself, but if she were stuck in Stormwind and war did eventuate, she would be cut off from her husband. That was unacceptable.

Plus, she doubted even Vereesa Windrunner was crazy enough to attack her in front of the Alliance Council.

So she asked the draenei to send for her parents. Then, when Mishka had left to meet up with Shaw, she asked her mother for a portal to Ironforge, 'neglecting' to inform her parents of her pregnancy. When her father asked why she hadn't gone with Mishka, Braelyn told him it was because the draenei had SI: 7 business to take care of.

Her mother would probably stay mad at her until her grandchild was born when she found out, but it was risk Braelyn knew she had to make.

* * *

><p>Ellysan Hawke knew her daughter was pregnant. The symptoms of her illness, plus Braelyn's continual rubbing of her stomach, made it pretty obvious. Her maternal instincts were going crazy, telling her to take her daughter to Goldshire and keep her there until things calmed down... but that would have made her a hypocrite. Ellysan herself had headed into worse situations than a tense meeting while pregnant with Braelyn... not that she'd told Jasper that, of course. Plus, knowing her daughter, the younger woman would just find another way to get where she needed to be.<p>

So Ellysan did what she thought best to keep her daughter both safe _and _happy. She decided to accompany Braelyn to Ironforge while sending Jasper to Silvermoon to inform Rommath of Braelyn's return. Honestly, she didn't understand why that hadn't been done already.

"Are you ready to go, Sweetie?" Ellysan asked, as Braelyn came out of the bathing chamber. They'd need to pick up some weapons and armour in Ironforge, just in case.

"Yes, Mum," Braelyn replied, twisting her fingers together nervously, "but what happened to Dad?"

"I sent him to run some errands for me while you and I go to Ironforge."

"You're coming with me?" Braelyn asked with surprise as her mother began to summon the portal. Ellysan could tell that her daughter was not thrilled with the idea of a companion.

"Of course I am," Ellysan replied. "You're not fooling me, Braelyn Hawke. I know you're up to something, and I intend to keep you and my grandchild safe while you do it."

Braelyn look flabbergasted. "But... how...?"

"I'm your mother, dear," Ellysan explained with a smirk. "Mothers know everything, as you'll soon find out."

Braelyn ran up and gave Ellysan a tight hug. "Thank you," she said, "but does Dad know?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ellysan replied, patting her daughter's head. "Why do you think I sent him away?"

Braelyn smiled shakily and said, "You're the best."

"Glad you recognise that," Ellysan said, grabbing Braelyn's hand and walking her through the portal.

* * *

><p>Braelyn groaned in frustration as she and her mother arrived in Ironforge only to find that the meeting was actually being held in the nearby town of Kharanos. The dwarven guards did not plan on telling her where the meeting the was being held, but her mother glared the information out of them. Ellysan Hawke was not a woman who held much respect for the word 'no'.<p>

"Are you going to be able to handle the flight, dear?" her mother asked her, concerned.

"I think so," Braelyn replied. "I'll _have _to, flying is the quickest way to get there. We don't have time to ride, and, honestly, I don't think I'd fare much better on the back of a ram." She sighed. "Let's head over to the gryphon master, we can stop and get armour and a bow on the way."

Braelyn was disappointed to find that nothing the blacksmith had in stock even came close to the gear she'd been wearing when abducted. It made her that little bit angrier at Jaina and Vereesa.

She settled on a set of black dragonscale armour and a replica Sunfury bow. Its beautiful elven design reminded her of Silvermoon.

Ten minutes later, Braelyn and Ellysan were in the air for the short flight to Kharanos. Braelyn was so ill she had to lay forward in the saddle and keep her eyes shut. Her stomach was rioting and it was amazing she didn't throw up. When they landed in the small dwarven village, she was unable to dismount without the assistance of her mother and one of the gryphon handlers.

"Was it this bad for you, Mum?" she whispered before taking a sip of water. The cool liquid eased her nausea a little, but she was still feeling awful.

"Fortunately not," her mother replied, patting Braelyn on the back. "You seem to be one of the unlucky ones, who gets really bad morning sickness."

"Of course I am," Braelyn grumped, slinging her bow over her shoulder. "Where's the meeting being held?" she asked the gryphon handler.

"You're runnin' a bit late, ain't ya, lassie?" he said. Seeing the looks on the two women's faces he backed up a little, hands held in front of him. "No disrespect intended, I'm sure. It's bein' held at the distillery."

"Thanks," Braelyn said, and started walking off in the direction the dwarf was pointing. She pulled her cloak tighter around her body. It was so cold here, her breath visible in the air around her, and snow and ice crunching underneath her mail boots.

The distillery was a neat, dwarven construct partly built into the ground. Normally, a stable master and a few hardy merchants would be stationed outside, catering to the needs of the travellers staying within. Today, however, the building was surrounded by soldiers of the various Alliance races.

Braelyn and Ellysan looked at each other and shrugged. They then straightened their spines, and marched forward. It was nothing they couldn't handle. Just as they reached the top of the stairs that lead down into the distillery, a very angry male voice called out to them.

"Braelyn, Ellysan! Stay right where you are!"

"Don't you take that tone with me, Mathias Shaw!" Ellysan retorted, glaring at the leader of Stormwind's intelligence agency as he strode up to them. He had fury written all over him. "I am not one of your lackeys, and neither is my daughter."

"I don't care!" snapped Mathias, glaring at the two women. "I don't know what you thought you were accomplishing by coming here, but you are not to step foot in the distillery until I send for you. _If _I send for you. Understand?"

"Why you jumped up, glorified little sneak thief!" Ellysan said, poking Mathias in the chest. "I do not take orders from you."

"Mum... "

"Not now, Braelyn."

"You are retired, Ellysan," Mathias pointed out, "which makes you a civilian, which means you _do _take orders from me."

"Mathias... "

"Not now, Mishka!"

"But the Ambassador..."

"Oh, I think I'm going to throw up," Braelyn said... and did just that.

* * *

><p>The meeting was not going well for King Varian, or all those who desired a continuation of the peace. Varian, for all his intuition and hard work, had found nothing during his investigation to support his suspicions of Vereesa Windrunner. As a result, all his arguments against war with the Sunreavers proved ineffective.<p>

The king knew he could always just say 'no' to Jaina's demand, and hope that the others followed his lead. Genn Greymane was being very supportive, and Varian thought he could count on the Gilnean. The older man had indicated before the meeting started that new information was incoming, but before Varian could question him, Jaina had arrived, and Genn would not speak in front of her.

Varian knew that the others supported him, but there was one simple truth he could not escape; if they said no, then Jaina would act on her own, and the Alliance could not afford to fracture. If Jaina attacked the blood elves, the Horde would retaliate, and they would not distinguish between the humans of Dalaran and the rest of Azeroth.

Even if the Horde did only attack Dalaran, his own people would not condone the King refusing to get involved. Not when their sons and daughters were being slaughtered.

The king was defeated, and the look on Vereesa's face said she knew it, too.

"Come now, Varian, and let me put this to a vote," Jaina Proudmoore said, her voice triumphant. "All those in favour of... "

"Wait!" A commanding voice echoed through the meeting room, and Mathias Shaw, head of SI: 7, came marching towards the king. "I have information you may want to hear before making a decision."

In the following outburst of excited chatter, Varian did not fail to miss the concerned looks exchanged between Jaina and Vereesa.

"What is it, Shaw?" he asked when the noise had abated.

"Your majesty," Jaina interrupted, "surely he can wait? This is important."

"Indeed it is, Jaina," Varian replied, "which is why we need all the information we can get. Shaw?"

"Your highness, through the hard work of SI: 7, I have managed to discover that Braelyn Hawke was not abducted on behalf of the sin'dorei, nor were the Kirin Tor attacked by the Sunreavers."

The council was silent for a few moments before Gelbin Mekkatorque spoke up. "But if the blood elves weren't responsible, who was?" the gnome asked.

"It was the Kirin Tor."

"preposterous!" Tyrande Whisperwind exclaimed as the room erupted into shocked whispering again. "Varian, he cannot be serious! Why would Jaina do this? What would she have to gain?"

"Besides the war she's been lookin' to start for tha past few years?" Moira Thaurissan asked, scowling at Lady Proudmoore. "I knew ye were desperate for revenge, but I didnae think ya'd go this far."

"How dare you!" Jaina screeched, losing her genteel lady act for a moment and glaring at the dwarven princess with rage.

"Do not worry, Jaina," Vereesa interrupted. "Shaw has no proof to support his _outrageous _claims."

"Oh, really?" Mathias countered, a roguish grin appearing on his face. "I didn't get to where I am now by being bad at my job, Ms Windrunner."

Vereesa looked disconcerted for a moment before her usual haughty expression was back in place. "Let's hear your proof then."

"First of all, I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that Braelyn Hawke escaped her captors, and is with her parents," Mathias said.

"Really?" Jaina asked, her voice wavering slightly. "That's a relief. Where is she?"

"Somewhere safe," Shaw smirked. "She has some interesting things to say about her kidnappers."

"Like what?" Vereesa demanded.

"Let's just say that when things have settled down, Lord Stoutmantle is going to get some unxpected help clearing the Defias out of Westfall... of the blood elf variety."

"The Defias?" Tyrande asked sceptically. "Since when have the Kirin Tor associated with those troublemakers?'

"We don't," Jaina said vehemently. "I don't know what Shaw thinks he's doing, Varian, but..."

"I am doing _my job_, Lady Proudmoore," Mathias interjected smoothly. "After speaking to the Ambassador, my agents hunted down some of the kidnappers and caught them not far from where they'd been holding their captive. Which was Theramore, if you wanted to know. Ambassador Hawke was certain about that."

"Did they talk?" Moira asked eagerly.

"Oh, yes."

"You believe the word of Defias scum that no doubt only confessed after being tortured?" Vereesa scoffed.

"I didn't have to torture them, Ms Windrunner," Mathias smirked. "I simply spoke to them in their own language. Gold. They're outside if you wish to question them further," he added to the king, "though I did also offer them amnesty." The spymaster did not look the least bit sorry.

"I guess I'll have to live with that," Varian replied dryly.

"Varian, you can't seriously be buying into this?" Jaina asked desperately. "I mean, _me _working with the _Defias_?"

"Oh, you were carefull not to bother yourself with the details, Lady Proudmoore," Mathias said. "You needed plausible deniability. Which is where Vereesa comes into it."

"Spare us your ridiculous theories," Vereesa sneered. "We have more important things to discuss."

"Like who attacked the Kirin Tor in Ashenvale?" Shaw retorted.

"We already know who attacked them," Jaina interrupted. "It was the Sunreavers!"

"That's who Windrunner wants you to think was responsible," Shaw said, "but you and I know the truth, don't we, Vereesa?"

"How dare you?!" Jaina challenged. "Vereesa would _never_... "

"But she did," challenged a new voice from the doorway. The council members turned to find a male high elf entering the room, with a frightened looking young human woman tucked under one arm. She was pale, and visibly distressed, wild eyes darting around the room.

"Ansara!" Jaina exclaimed. "They told me you were dead! That there were no survivors!"

"Solarin said to keep my survival a secret," Ansara said in barely more than a whisper. She was too frightened to look at Jaina or Vereesa, choosing instead to focus on Gelbin Mekkatorque, who was the most non-threatening person in the room. "He said that if the Silver Covenant knew I was still alive, then they'd come back to kill me for real."

"Ansara?" King Varian said, moving to lay a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder. "Who attacked you?"

"I thought it was the Sunreavers at first," the young mage replied. "They looked like blood elves, with the fel green eyes and wearing the Sunreaver tabard, but when one of them... when he, ah, stabbed me, I thought I recognised him."

"Plenty of blood elves were in the Kirin Tor," Vereesa pointed out tersely.

"I never met any of them, though," Ansara told the king. "The only elves I knew in Dalaran were high elves." She squeezed her husband's hand, and he made a comforting noise in return, eyeing the king warily.

"As he held me, the elf told me I had to stay alive to tell Lady Proudmoore who attacked me," Ansara continued. "But when he was talking, his eyes began to flicker and change from green to blue. Just before I lost consciousness they stayed blue." The young mage looked the king right in the eye and added. "He wasn't a blood elf, your Majesty. It was a high elf, I swear it!"

"With Solarin's help, Agent Nightwind was able to track down the high elf in question," Mathias said with a frown. "I have him locked up in the local jail."

There was a period of profound silence in which every pair of eyes turned to look at Vereesa Windrunner. Instead of looking scared, or even remorseful, the high elf ranger looked defiant. She returned each person's glare without shame, as if daring them to condemn her.

"Very well," replied the King. He kept his voice calm, but it was possible to see his anger in the tense line of his jaw. "You may go now, Ansara. Thank you for coming here today. I know that it must not have been an easy experience."

"Vereesa?" Jaina asked in a small voice as Solarin guided his wife out of the distillery. "Is this true?" She sounded hopeful, as if it were all just some crazy misunderstanding, or that a group of Silver Covenant rangers had gone rogue.

"What do you think?" Vereesa snapped.

"I never wanted this!" Jaina said, horrified. "I never wanted you to go this far. They were our allies!"

"Oh, spare me your moral indignation, Jaina," Vereesa sneered. "You said yourself that we all need to make sacrifices. Well, I made my sacrifice, now it's your turn."

"Jaina," Tyrande said, not witholding the disappointment from her voice. "What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking?" Jaina said, a touch of hysteria in her voice. "I was thinking of all the times I sacrificed the things and people I cared about to pursue peace. Sacrifices that were never appreciated, or reciprocated. I always did my best to help the Alliance, but where was the Alliance when I needed support, when I needed you to be the ones to make a sacrifice for me for a change? You were too busy kowtowing to the Horde in order to maintain peace, an unjust peace paid for with the blood of my people!"

"Save your breath, Jaina," Vereesa said with great bitterness. "They've already consigned us to the gallows." The high elf was still defiant, but there was a weariness to her countenance, as if she were aware that her fight was over, but was too stubborn to accept it.

"I didnae see this comin'," Moira Thaurissan said, looking as shocked as she sounded. She looked around at her fellow Alliance leaders. "Varian, what shall we do?"

"I no longer recognise your authority," Vereesa said. "None of you have any power over me."

"Oh, I think you'll find that we do," Varian warned. He marched forward, forcing Vereesa and Jaina into defensive stances. He was about to call for more guards to take them into custody, when several bright lights appeared on one side of the room. The sound of mass teleportation rent the air.

A moment later, ten new people stood in the meeting room of the Thunderbrew Distillery, four of them very familiar, and all of them bound to make the already tense situation a lot worse.

The sin'dorei had arrived.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Light have mercy," Varian muttered to himself as the Sin'dorei appeared in their midst. That's all this situation needed right now; more angry elves.<p>

"What do you think you people are doing here, Regent Lord?" he asked Lor'themar Theron angrily, then paused when he noticed Jasper Hawke standing among the blood elves. "Jasper! What is the meaning of all this?"

"Your Majesty, sorry for the intrusion," the paladin said, "but I went to Silvermoon to bring Rommath to Braelyn, but when we got back to Stormwind, she wasn't there!" The man looked panicked about losing his daughter yet again.

Rommath, in contrast, was a barely restrained mass of seething fury. He glared at Varian with loathing, the exact same way Jaina and Vereesa were staring at Aethas and Lor'themar.

"Calm down, Hawke," Mathias Shaw interrupted. "Your wife and daughter are here."

"Braelyn came here?" Genn Greymane asked with surprise. "She's supposed to be recovering!"

"Recovering?" Rommath demanded, his voice sending shivers of alarm down the spines of all who heard him speak. Lor'themar and Halduron immediately stepped forward, taking a firm hold of his arms. The mage attempted to shake them off, but his friends did not let go.

"I want my wife! I want her here, _now_," Rommath continued. "Where is she?"

"I'm here, Rommath," Braelyn said, appearing on the steps leading down to the meeting room floor. Her husband let out a relieved sigh and all but ran across the room to embrace her. The young hunter buried her face in the Grand Magister's shoulder, and began whispering to him in rapid-fire Thalasian, her body shaking with fatigue and overwhelming joy.

Rommath did his best to console her, but his own extreme emotions left him unable to do much beside rub her back and plant soft kisses on the crown of her head. He was sill angry, fury shining forth from eyes that warned everyone else to stay away. He took Braelyn's face in his hand, studying it with great intent.

"Are you all sure you're all right, dear heart?" he whispered in Thalasian, not quite believing Braelyn when she nodded her head. He leant his forehead against hers. "I was beginning to lose hope."

"I'm fine, truly," Braelyn replied as she kissed Rommath, not caring that they were being watched. "I missed you so much."

As the assembled leaders observed the touching reunion, no one noticed Vereesa bend down to fetch a dagger out of her boot, or Jaina slip her hands behind her back to start summoning some magic.

Nobody noticed anything until the poisoned blade sank deep into Rommath's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Braelyn never believed a day would come when she'd be happier than she was on her wedding day, yet the joy she felt upon seeing Rommath as she came down the stairs far outweighed that she'd experienced during her vows.<p>

She had no idea what she was telling him, whether she was explaining who'd really attacked her, or if she was just babbling. She felt every touch, every kiss that he bestowed on her exhausted body a thousand fold, and was just about to beg him to take her home when he stiffened in her arms. A barely audible grunt escaped his lips, and for a moment, Braelyn feared her husband was about to lash out in anger.

Then she felt a warm liquid crawl over the hand clinging to Rommath's back, and heard the startled yells of the people around her. "Rommath?" she asked, panic in her voice as her hand moved upwards and found the hilt of dagger buried in his back.

"Brae... lyn," Rommath gasped, hands digging into her waist. His knees started to give way, and she would have been crushed beneath him if Genn Greymane hadn't grabbed Rommath and lowered him to the floor.

"Papa! Heal him!" Braelyn screamed, but it was not her father that began to work healing magic on her fallen spouse. It was Tyrande Whisperwind.

"It's not healing as well as it should," the high priestess muttered with a frown. "Vereesa, what have you done?"

Vereesa ignored Tyrande, instead focussing on Braelyn and Rommath. The high elf's face was twisted in anger and resentment. "You won't be able heal him easily, girl," she taunted, gracefully dodging some Stormwind guards. "That blade is poisoned with Widow's Veil. Why should you get a happy ending when my husband lies dead?"

Tyrande swore under her breath. "Lor'themar!" she yelled. "You need to get Rommath back to Silvermoon. We can't heal him here."

Lor'themar nodded, and walked across the room to collect his friend. He gave Braelyn a tight smile before placing arms underneath Rommath's still form. He was lifting the Grand Magister to his feet, when Varian let out a warning shout behind him.

"Jaina! No!"

"Shut up, Varian!" Jaina snapped in response. "I am not letting you take away everything I've worked so hard for. I won't relinquish my legacy. You'll have to earn your victory."

A bright, blue-tinged light filled the room. It was so bright that Braelyn was forced to close her eyes against the painful glare. She heard Aethas utter a panicked warning, and felt a protective shield surround her. Then her ears were ringing as a thundering explosion tore the distillery apart.

All was dark.

* * *

><p>Braelyn did not know how long she was unconscious, but by the time she woke up, the fight was almost over. For a brief moment she experienced an almost unbearable wave of anguish as she thought about the explosion's impact on her baby, but then she remembered being cocooned in the protective shell of a magical shield. She rubbed her stomach in relief, thanking the Light for Tyrande Whisperwind's quick action.<p>

Rommath was sitting nearby, an unconcious Lor'themar next to him. "Rommath?" Braelyn asked, as she watched her husband call down a flamestrike. He was pale, sweaty, and shaking, his poisoned wound obviously taking its toll him, but he was doing his best to keep Jaina and her Kirin Tor associates unbalanced.

"Braelyn," Rommath groaned, "come here, dear heart. I need you with me."

Braelyn got up and walked over to Rommath settling by his side. She wrapped her arms around him, to help hold him upright. "Is Lor'themar all right?" she asked as Rommath slid an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side.

"Yes, he's fine. Just out of it," her husband said, kissing the side of her head.

Off to one side, Braelyn noticed Vereesa Windrunner kneeling on the ground before Ellysan and Jasper, her hands tied behind her back. Braelyn's mother was yelling at the high elf, berating her for not thinking of her children's future. Jasper added that it was lucky she did have children, otherwise they wouldn't have spared her.

The mention of her children caused Vereesa's angry defiance to crumble, and she dissolved into loud tears, sobs racking her slender body.

The Alliance leaders, and their unexpected sin'dorei guests, had done an excellent job of disarming and capturing the renegade mages and rangers. Apart from Lor'themar and Rommath, there seemed to be no injuries, although Varian was sporting a nasty cut along one cheek, and Gelbin's mechanostrider was a pile of smoking circuitry. A few guards had fallen, but Braelyn was unable to tell if they were dead, or just unconscious.

There was still one major problem.

Jaina.

The Kirin Tor's leader was still fighting, and was focussing all her energy on Aethas Sunreaver. She was tiring, but seemed to be all the more dangerous because of it. She was speaking to Aethas as she cast spell after spell, but Braelyn was unable to hear what the mage was saying.

Eventually, the Aethas and Jaina were the only two left fighting, the rest of the people present respecting the sanctity of their duel.

The air was heavy with the smell of magic, and Braelyn's eyes were beginning to water and burn from all the bright lights. Beside her, Rommath lost consciousness, and she screamed for a Sunreaver mage to teleport him and Lor'themar home. The Sunreaver offered to take Braelyn as well, but she refused. As much as she wanted to be by Rommath's side, she had to see this through. She had to see Jaina held accountable.

Braelyn got to her feet shakily and walked over to where her parents were standing beside Halduron and Varian. "Braelyn, honey," her father said in alarm, "why didn't you leave with Rommath?"

"I have to see this, Dad," she replied, accepting the arm that Varian held out for her. "She's failing," Braelyn added, nodding her head to where Jaina had fallen. Aethas' last arcane blast had left her reeling, and he took advantage of it by sweeping her feet out from under her with his staff. Jaina landed roughly on her arse, cursing as Aethas laid his staff across her throat.

"Jaina Proudmoore, do you yield?" Aethas asked firmly, frowning down at his conquered foe.

"Yes, I yield," Jaina spat out angrily, but her eyes darted around the ruined building as if searching for a way out.

Aethas nodded, but did not move away until the Prophet Velen came forward with some arcane shackles. He bent down and helped Jaina to her feet, but when Aethas went to attach the shackles, she surprised him by lashing out with a frost nova. It was not strong enough to do anything but give him a chill and a nasty surprise, but it allowed Jaina to slip a dagger from the folds of her robes.

"Aethas!" Braelyn called out in warning as Jaina lunged forward. Aethas let out a startled yell, and leant backwards, an action that saved his life. The dagger's wickedly shaped blade missed his neck, instead running along his upper torso, near his collarbone. It was sharp enough to cut through the enchanted fabric, resulting in a long, jagged wound. It bled profusely, but with the quick intervention of Velen, it was healed before too much damage was done, though Aethas would carry a scar for the rest of his life.

Aethas retaliated by casting an arcane blast. Because Jaina had thrown herself onto Aethas, the force of the blast was enough to send her flying backwards. She grunted as she landed on what used to be the distillery's bar, splinters burying themselves in her exposed skin. She forced herself onto her knees, the dagger still gripped tightly in her hand.

"It's over, Jaina," Varian growled. "End this with a bit of dignity."

Jaina laughed tiredly, but it held little mirth. "I know it's over, Varian," she said, sounding old beyond her years, "but I will end things on my own terms, not on yours." She smiled and added remorsefully, "It was never supposed to go this far."

The mage looked down at the dagger in her hand, and, with another hollow laugh, thrust it into her heart.

* * *

><p>The peace held.<p>

In the two weeks since Jaina Proudmoore's death, there had been many meetings between King Varian and Warchief Vol'jin. There was a lot of anger to work through, but it was dealt with surprisingly quickly. The Warchief, after speaking with Lor'themar Theron, accepted that Jaina and Vereesa had acted on their own, without Alliance assistance.

The Kirin Tor and the Silver Covenant were disbanded, and both the Alliance and the Horde had sent troops to stabilise Dalaran after news of Vereesa WIndrunner's arrest triggered a riot. The long-term future of the floating city was still undecided.

Braelyn was back in Silvermoon, nursing Rommath, who had remained in a coma for ten days after the battle at Kharanos. He had suffered a rare allergic reaction to the poison Vereesa had used on her blade, and it proved difficult to treat. He regained consciousness four days ago, and was spending his time either in bed or resting in the library.

He was not a good patient, being belligerent to anyone who came within yelling distance. Except for his wife of course, whom he merely held as if she were about to disappear again at any second. Braelyn knew it was going to be a long time before he was comfortable with her leaving his sight.

Braelyn smiled as she entered the main foyer of their home, her eyes catching sight of the sign Halduron had given her for her last birthday. It read: 'It has been 3 days since our last argument'. The number was on a little square that could be swapped with other numbers. The highest it had been was ten, the number of days Rommath had been unconscious.

She headed upstairs to the library, clutching a brightly wrapped package in her hand. It was a gift for her husband. A very special gift.

"There you are," Rommath said grumpily as she walked through the door. "I was beginning to think you'd left me." He was frowning, hating being cooped up and unable to do anything for himself.

"Never," Braelyn said, kissing his cheek, and brushing a strand of hair away from his face. Despite his grumpiness, Rommath leaned into her touch with a soft sigh. "I bought you a present," she added, handing him the small parcel.

Rommath smiled despite himself and began to unwrap his gift. He paused and raised an eyebrow at his wife when he read the title of the book in his hand. "'A Compendium of Classic Tales for Children'?" he questioned warily. "Is this your way of telling me you think I'm acting like a child?"

"No, my love," Braelyn replied with a cheeky grin, locking her hands behind her back, and rocking back and forth on her heels. "It's my way of telling you that I'm pregnant."

"Oh, of course, silly m... " Rommath started to say, before registering what Braelyn had just told him. He looked down at the book before locking eyes with his wife once more. "What did you just say?" he demanded.

"I'm pregnant, Rommath," Braelyn said, tears of joy welling in her eyes. "You're going to be a father."

For the longest time, Rommath just stared at her. Then he grinned briefly before a look of anguish crossed his face.

"Rommath?" Braelyn asked, reaching out to him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

"Come here," he said, settling her on his lap and wrapping his arms around her. One hand came to rest gently on her stomach, his fingers tracing circles on the fabric of her shirt. "All that time," he whispered. "All that time those bastards had you and you were... " he was unable to complete his sentence, and instead kissed Braelyn thoroughly.

"It's all right, my love," Braelyn said, stroking his hair. "Lorelai said that the baby and I are both fine and healthy."

"Let's just keep it that way," Rommath replied. He looked Braelyn in the eyes. "I love you, Braelyn. What a blessing you're giving me."

"A blessing for us both," Braelyn replied, setting her hand over his on her belly.

Rommath spent the rest of the day reading his new book to his wife and unborn child.

* * *

><p><strong>AN <strong>- I thought I would never finish this chapter. Whooo. Just the epilogue to go now, guys. Yay! I hope the ending didn't give anyone diabetes.

Next chapter: it's the epilogue. There's a baby! And we find out what happened to Vereesa and Dalaran.


	14. Epilogue

_The past few years have been difficult_, Braelyn thought as she gazed down at her newborn daughter, _but to have my family was worth every second of pain._ She reached out and caressed her child's delicate cheek, smiling as the action elicited a yawn, a tiny hand waving aimlessly in the air. Her daughter had her father's elven features but Braelyn's colouring. She looked like Braelyn would have, if she had been born a blood elf.

Braelyn thought of where her life had taken her; from the woods of Elwynn Forest, to the wilds of Hyjal, and the heights of the Redridge Mountains. Not one of them compared to the majesty of Silvermoon. This was home, the place she felt safest.

When she felt sure that Andoriah was asleep, Braelyn stepped out into the hallway outside her bedroom. She noticed a pile of letters sitting on one of the tables, awaiting her husband's attention. The one on top sported the seal of Dalaran; no doubt Aethas was needing Rommath's advice again.

After the battle at Kharanos, Warchief Vol'jin and King Varian decided that Dalaran should become a joint Horde/Alliance settlement. Aethas had been asked to take over from Lady Proudmoore, with Ellysan as his second-in-command. Things were going remarkably smoothly, though Braelyn's mother was talking about retiring again, 'for good this time'.

It seemed Dalaran was destined for neutrality.

Lorelai had gone to live in the floating city with Aethas, and the two were talking about marrying during the upcoming Winter's Veil celebrations. Braelyn missed her friend dearly, but who was she to stand in the way of her friends' happiness?

Ansara Belodiere and her husband, Solarin, the only survivors of the misguided attack on the Kirin Tor, had also returned to Dalaran. They had surprised everyone by aslo assuming the responsibility of caring for Vereesa Windrunner's young children, though Solarin made it clear it was out of respect for Rhonin and concern for the young ones that they did so.

Vereesa would never leave gaol. Her mental state had deteriorated to the point she no longer remembered anything of her previous life... except her hatred of the Sunreavers.

The tragedy of it all was enough to make Braelyn want to weep.

Jaina Proudmoore had been buried in the graveyard outside Theramore. People were doing their best to remember her as the peacemaker she'd been for the majority of her life, rather than the warmonger of her final days. The rebuilding of her beloved city was going ahead, with funding from Stormwind and Kul Tiras, though conflict was rising over whose territory it belonged to.

The orcs weren't too happy with it being rebuilt either.

Braelyn sighed before heading downstairs. The politics of Azeroth were no longer her concern. After her abduction by the Defias, Braelyn decided that the Ambassador's life was not for her. Returning to Silvermoon, she'd taken on responsibility for training the city's next generation of hunters. It was a fulfilling career, and it kept Rommath happy as well.

Approaching the library, Braelyn heard muffled laughter. It seemed they had guests. She paused in the doorway, fighting down her own giggles at the sight before her. Sitting in a circle on the floor, the three most powerful men in Quel'Thalas were indulging in a tea party, at the mercy of their tiny host.

"More tea, Regent Lord?" Bitsie asked in a very polite tone.

"Yes, please, Lady Bitsie," Lor'themar replied, as seriously as if he'd been addressing King Varian. "This is the most delicious tea I have ever tasted."

"Thank you! Daddy said it comes from Pandaria," Bitsie said as she poured the pretend tea into the tiny yellow cup Lor'themar was holding. The little girl was about to turn four years old, and had inherited Rommath's gorgeous black hair and her mother's dark blue eyes. Her personality, though, was that of her namesake; cheeky and bold, with an added dash of Braelyn's stubbornness.

Sometimes Braelyn thought that her little gnome friend had come back to her.

To Lor'themar's right sat Halduron, who was grinning from ear to ear, obviously having a grand time. He was one of Bitsie's guardians, and loved the little girl dearly. He had already claimed her as a future Farstrider, dismissing Rommath's argument that she was clearly the next Grand Magister.

Rommath was sitting to Lor'themar's left. He had noticed Braelyn's arrival, and was giving his wife a warning look, as if daring her to laugh at him. Braelyn just grinned at him as she moved to sit next to him. She snuggled into his side, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Mummy!" Bitsie cried, running over to sit on her mother's lap. "We're having tea!"

"I can see that, Sweetheart," Braelyn replied, hugging Bitsie, "but it's time to say goodnight and start getting ready for bed."

"Aw, really?" the little girl said, her pigtails shaking from side to side as she shook her head. "But I don't want to go!"

"I know, but you need your sleep. If you're lucky, Uncle Halduron might read you your stories tonight."

"Can I?" Halduron asked excitedly. When Braelyn nodded, he leapt to his feet, picked Bitsie up and carried the giggling child up to her room, Denaria the pig hot on their heels. He stopped just long enough to collect Rommath's worn compendium of children's tales.

"And you wanted her to sleep," Rommath remarked dryly, rolling his eyes at Braelyn, who stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'll take my leave, then," Lor'themar said getting to his feet. He bade Rommath and Braelyn farewell, saying that he'd see himself out.

"Is Andoriah asleep?" Rommath whispered in Braelyn's ear as he pulled her onto his lap. Braelyn nodded sleepily, resting her head on her husband's shoulder. She sighed with contentment.

"Do you need to go to bed, too?" Rommath asked with a low chuckle.

"I can sleep here just fine," Braelyn murmured, eyes already drifting closed. The last thing she was conscious of was Rommath getting to his feet and carrying her upstairs, his lips brushing across her own.

Life was beautiful.

**AN - **the end!

The first chapter of the third Braelyn story will be posted within a week, if not it will be a one-shot about how Braelyn came to meet Jack. The third Braelyn story is a what-if sequel to Watcher in the Keep exploring how her life would go if she did not join the Argent Crusade and reunite with Rommath. It is tentatively called 'Yesterday's Ghost'.


End file.
